“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart… Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Carl Jung

By Carole Dean

Reading film proposals for indie features, documentaries, and short films is a passion of mine.  That’s a good thing since I read over five hundred proposals and view over a thousand trailers a year for my Roy W. Dean Film Grants.  Filmmakers frequently ask me how they can improve their applications.

Film Grantors or investors are usually under a deadline to read and make a decision on something that should never be judged: your art. Your potential funder is probably reviewing hundreds of proposals, one right after the other, so you need to find a way to make your proposal unique.

The Right Introduction

The introduction or synopsis is the most critical element in the proposal.   It is the first thing I read when I pick up a new film proposal.  It tells me how compelling the project is and reveals how passionate the filmmaker is about it.

It should tell me a visual story of the film.  Sponsors use the synopsis during the selection process as a way of categorizing and separating one type of film from another. If your synopsis is dynamic and is strategically placed on your application, it will remain active in the sponsor’s mind.

This is where your sticky story works for you.  It’s important to have a concise overview of the film that gives us that visual description and tells a story with emotion, surprise, concrete information, credibility, etc.  I can pitch you films that entered my grants over 10 years ago because I can remember a sticky story.

Let a Picture Help Tell Your  Story

This is a visual industry, yet only 10% of the applications I receive include pictures.  That always amazes me.  Since the person reading your proposal is probably very visual, consider dropping a few pictures or graphics into your proposal.

Or, how about submitting a picture of yourself with your application? Include a photograph taken during your last film shoot –something that shows you in action, behind the camera or giving direction. Even if it’s just your student ID, put that shining smile on the page and let us see who you are! Passion, perseverance, and personalization are what you need to win grants, so don’t be afraid to put your heart on your sleeve to win that grant!

Have You Been There Before?

How many grants have you entered?  Tell us about them so we can see how determined you are to make this film. Do you really want this grant?  Are you willing to dedicate the next three years of your life to produce this film?

Make it Personal

Find a way to communicate your dedication in your proposal.  Include a personal film statement. Tell us what is driving you to make this specific film.  That tells us you are in for the long haul.  No matter if things get tough, this film is so important that you will not give up.  I must feel that in your words.

 

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-profit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She hosts the weekly podcast, The Art of Film Funding, interviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film production. She is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

By Carole Dean

The Bible says “love thy neighbor as thyself.”  I believe that this means you need to love yourself more than anyone.   This self-love allows you to love others.  Operating from self-love allows you to move to any situation with confidence.  That includes talking to a room full of investors.

Filmmakers are often hardest on themselves.  I want you to think of all the talents you have.  Most people would literally give their right arm to be able to act or produce or direct and you probably can do all three of these incredible feats.

Loving yourself and exuding confidence is key to funding your film.  When you walk into a room people should feel your presence.  They should know from your actions that you are confident and in-charge.  That’s what investors and donors want.  They give the money to you, not the film.

So, who are you?  Are you confident?  How do you talk?  Are you saying, “Well, we hope to….” or “What we want to do is….” If so. you just lost the money person.    They need to hear exactly what your plans are and how you will achieve them in a confident manner.  If you’re not sure, how can they be about giving you money?

Most wealthy people belong to a group that operates their lives around mission, visions, and values.  They have carefully created their one sentence life mission statement.  They have a vision of what they want to achieve with deadlines they often hit.  Their values are clearly defined and they live by them.  They are self-starters and high achievers. They have detailed to-do lists to work from daily.  They are looking for people who are like-minded, who have a mission and clearly defined goals.

I want you to show how much you love yourself through your self- confidence.  Be like a conductor on a train from one of those great 1940’s movies.  Your train is on a track at Grand Central with a clear destination.  You have to get others on board.  This is much easier when you operate with self-love and the confidence that your film is fully funded.

Money loves confident people.  Confident people have a high regard for themselves, they love themselves and this love is a major asset.

by Carole Dean

The Divine Record: Within the Divine Record of every individual there is registered all constructive experience.  Therefore when a necessity requires it and the wisdom is there to be used, naturally that is the first place to draw from.  For instance if you had a book giving certain formulas of activity, you would not go to another individual who had the same kind of book, but you would look into your own book and save the time and energy.  If mankind had not forgotten the Wisdom and Force stored within their consciousness, they would much more readily call upon that which is already at hand.

Ascended Master Instructions by St. Germaine Volume 4 (Page 33)

The answers to our specific questions on our personal needs are waiting for each of us.  We have only to go inside to find it.  I have been successful in getting answers for many problems because I know that the universal knowledge I need is available.

It’s also a great way for filmmakers to solve the myriad production, artistic, and financial decisions they need to make every day.

All you need to do is ask.

For me, this means that I take the issue with at least two solutions and go to a quiet place. It could be a major decision or just a small decision that I need help with.  The secret is to know that you can get the information you need by asking.

Like all practices, it works better if you put yourself into a relaxed state.  That may be hard to do on a film set so find a quiet place off somewhere.  First I do some regulated breaths to clear myself.  I inhale to the count of 8, hold my breath for the count of 8, release my breath for the count of 8 and begin again.  After three rounds I can feel my body relax.   You have much greater access when you still the mind and relax the body.

Now focus on the issue you need to resolve.

State the issue as you see it.  Maybe you can’t decide on an ending for your script or you’ve got an investor offering money, but with lots of strings attached.  Now, state two possible solutions. Then leave it.

Give the universe time to analyze it.  Stay relaxed for a while then go back to your work.  The answer will come.  Most of the time it will be a third way to solve the problem or handle the situation and it will be much better than what you had offered.

Sometimes it comes when you are doing the dishes or walking the dog.  It just comes into your consciousness and you know that’s the answer.  You feel excited when you get it and you feel joy in the knowledge that you have this power inside you.  It is your own force that can seek out answers.

Once you have your answer you will feel empowered.  Yes, you now realize that you have an abundance of wisdom inside of you.  You feel humble knowing that all your questions can be answered.  You will find great confidence through the act of going inside for knowledge.

Always know that you are more than your physical body.

You are spirit.  As such you have much information stored inside you.  You have complete access to information that can serve you well.  Simply go inside for the answers because you do have wisdom and force stored in your consciousness.

After filmmaker Nick Aquilino failed for a 3^rd time to win the Roy W. Dean Film Grant with his documentary, he presented From The Heart Productions President Carole Dean with a question that intrigued and touched her.

It also gave birth to a new $500 film award for independent filmmakers.

Nick’s submission was on the history of the AIDS crisis in northern California.   His work was superior.  But, due to the many other exceptional works that applied, he did not make finals list.

When this news was relayed to him, he wondered what would happen to his project and others like his that hunger for recognition.   He had been working on this very important project for years.  But, it was increasingly difficult to him to keep going without some support, both personal and financial.

He asked Carole if she could come up with perhaps a new micro-grant.  It would be for filmmakers who for years have been working on unique films that contribute to society whose projects have gone unrecognized, but should be.  Winning just one grant, one award, he told Carole, “would get the other organizations to take note” of his project and others like it.

It is what has made the Roy W. Dean Grant so essential to filmmakers.  The grant funds significant films that are in the process of being created.  Winning the grant bestows on a filmmaker proof of concept of their project and honors their talent.  This moves their films to the top of other grant consideration and funder lists.

So, the Roy W. Dean Grant Jury Award has been created.   With it comes a $500 prize.  Nick Aquilino is the inaugural recipient.

“I know it take tenacity and unrelenting faith to keep applying for grants” said Carole Dean. “Especially when you are turned down and told you did not win.  We want to honor independent filmmakers who keep going against all opposition, who have undying faith in themselves and their films.”

The Roy W. Dean Grant Jury Award will be given to an applicant of the grant who has been working on their project for 3 years or more, shows exceptional work which adheres to the grant’s mission, and who has yet to win a grant.

Another Jury Award will also be given out in this year’s Roy W. Dean Fall Grant.  Deadline for applying to the grant is September 30^th.   Filmmakers can enter using the Roy W. Dean Grant online application form.   Entry into the grant enters you in to competition for the Jury Award provided requirements for the award are met.  One winner will be chosen from every subsequent grant.

For more information on the Roy W. Dean Grant Jury Prize, please go to Jury Prize Information Page

By Carole Dean

Everything in your room was a thought before it became a material object.   Thought creates matter.   So says Ken Elliott, author of Manifesting 1, 2, 3, and you don’t need 3  who we interviewed for our The Art of Film Funding Podcast.

His information is fascinating.  He shares how he learned to send visions of his thoughts to his teacher.  From this, he went on to manifest a successful career as an artist as well as writing an important, well received book.

Does your film need funding?   You need to see what you want.   Ken says this is the first step in manifesting.  Then, “move it from your head to your heart.”   We communicate through our heart chakra.

Find this heart place to send your vision to the universe.   Remember how special you feel when someone says something that makes your hand touch your heart? 

Tell me a great story, touch my heart, and I will open my pocketbook!

Send Your Visions With Emotions

I think you should send your visions with emotions.  I like my requests to have“urgency”.  So I send them up with joy, happiness and gratitude.  Emotions heighten manifestation.

Ken talks about children who manifest what they want.  They see it, they say it, or point to it. and they become relentless in their request.  They get what they want through:

Focus, Focus, Focus

Once you start focusing on a vision things happen.  In our Intentional Filmmaking Class, we focus on what we want by listing it and envisioning it as completed.  We list what we want and send our intentions/visions as if they have happened. 

That seems to be essential.  You have to believe you have it.  You are living in it.  It is.  Once you step into the reality that “it is” you can “feel” it and “see it.”  This clear vision is a key to manifesting.

Make a Manifesting “To Do” List

Ken mentions list making.  That’s what we do in our class.  We make a list of what we want.  Short and concise so that we can read it daily and these things become reality. 

Ken says that a friend of his who is an out of body person could see his list of things start to manifest on the other side.  Then it comes into our reality.  I don’t know about this.  I just know that the “how” is not important.  I know the vision and imaging that you have it is the key to manifesting.

Manifesting “The Secret”

Did you know that Rhonda Burns and her crew manifested their top selling film The Secret? by using the concepts in The Secret? They manifested what they wanted. They saw this film opening all over the world at once.

At that time, there was no way to download a full film.  That’s how much faith they had.  They envisioned the outcome they wanted. While they were making the film it became possible to download a full feature and they achieved their vision.

Convert Your Worries Into Actions

Ken Elliott says that your biggest enemy is fear.  You can overcome it by converting your worries to action items.  Put them on your calendar. 

I find he is right.  I keep a pen and paper and when thoughts come to me that could be a fear, I write an action note to solve the problem.  For some reason the brain stops worrying. Then the next day, if it is still a worry you focus on it or you let it go.

Ken says to create a movie for the future first create it in your mind. Close your eyes and imagine you are in your future. See the future and live it.  Be on your couch in a lovely home sitting at the end of the day and seeing your film completed.

The Power of Gratefulness

Use the heart now by sending feelings of love and gratitude while you see the completed film and discuss your success. He says you use one of the most powerful things in the universe: gratefulness.  Be grateful that you have the finished film. Charge it with gratitude and love.  See this movie once a day.

This manifesting is available to all of us. Thought is real, it can create, we know this from quantum physics. Why not believe you can improve your life, create more joy, make a film and fulfill your heart’s desire?  Even if for only 90 days, why not use your vision, lists, focus, lack of fear and most importantly faith to create your film?

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-profit that offers fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She hosts the weekly podcast, The Art of Film Funding, interviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film production. She is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits.

Why do filmmakers sometimes behave like fish? 

Dr. Deepak Chopra says that “If you talk to people who work in aquariums, they will tell you that when fish are separated from each other in glass tanks with a transparent partition between, preventing the fish from moving to the other tank, and then you remove that partition, the fish still will not be able to go into the other tank.  They have made a commitment in their body-mind and believe that’s as far as they can go.”

He says our sensory apparatus, like those fish in the aquarium, develops as a result of our initial sensory experiences and how we are taught to interpret them.  We function with a nervous system that reinforces and interprets what happened to us.  It’s called a premature cognitive commitment.

Then, we commit ourselves to cognitive realities which are a result of conceptual boundaries that we have structured in our own consciousness.  And our nervous system reinforces these boundaries.

I run into this daily in consultations with filmmakers.  When they need to raise money, I often suggest ideas that I know to be successful.  Many will say, No, I had a horrible time with crowdfunding or I had a party and we barely covered the cost of the food.  Once they tried something, their body-mind has made a premature cognitive commitment.

To change this is impossible in one phone call.

A New Kind of Class

So years ago, I created The Trailblazers Class.   I asked filmmakers to drive an hour to Oxnard once a month for 6 months to spend from10AM to 4PM with me in my home with lunch served.  We started with the foundation of the film, pitch, proposal and trailer and we spent a month on each of these before we moved into funding ideas.

We created a vision board together cutting pictures from magazines, listened to Chopra and his Way of the Wizard audio.  We listened to Bruce Lipton tell us how to change our thinking, how we are creating our future with thoughts.  We began to think of things as completed and realized we must send positive images and feelings when we thought about our firms and our future. So we created completed visions of the films in our minds and saw them as successful.

Was it successful?  Upon research, one woman who was just starting to make a documentary now has a brilliant, completed film and is starting another one.  One of the young men in the class has won many grants and is now teaching at NYFA.  Another woman artist did a stupendous job with her documentary and wrote a second book with her photos and it is published.

Intentional Filmmakers

That’s why I’ve now created the Intentional Filmmakers Class.  It’s a nine month online course (no trips to Oxnard necessary) to help filmmakers remove blocks.  It will have only a small group of filmmakers who will work together to discover these body- mind commitments and remove them.  I want to help filmmakers accept and embrace new concepts for funding their films.

This is a business where the only constant is change.  We must be able to adapt to new concepts and let go of old ones at the drop of a hat.   We can do this through new information from scientists, doctors and investigators such as Deepak Chopra, Lynn McTaggart, Brian Green, Stuart Wilde and Michael Beckwith.

Miracles happen every day.  I believe that we are all connected.  I believe that we care for each other and we are here to support each other.  We can create our future.   Impossible?  I don’t think so.

For more information on the Intentional Filmmaker Class, please go to https://fromtheheartproductions.com/intentional-filmmaking/

 

Movies do not get made without great intent.  Especially the ones nominated for Academy Awards.  2013 best director Oscar nominee Behh Zietlin shot “Beasts of the Southern Wild” on a shoestring budget, with untrained child actors, in a dirty swamp.  You aren’t able to do that without the will to get it done.

Intention is the greatest power we have as humans.  It’s our will power; we can will things into being.  How?  We do this by our relentless belief in the outcome of our desire.

Haven’t you heard people say, “He willed it so” when talking about someone who achieved an incredible feat?  We use this word without realizing its full potential.  Each of us has this power.  The question is how to use it to create our art.

Say it Out Loud

Once you find something that you are willing to achieve and know that you will have to put 1000% of your faith and full intention on the completion, say it out loud.

Then, ask yourself how you feel. Are you sick at your stomach?  It’s too much?  Lower your expectations.  Do you feel confident?  Then, go for it.  Deepak Chopra says each cell is a living thinking organism.  Believe me, your body will tell you if you can or can’t do that, stay away from the mind, listen to the body.

Once you have set an intention for what you believe you can achieve, then put it everywhere you spend time, on your computer, the visor of the car, inside your wallet, you want to see this and repeat it 3 times a day.  This is a one line statement of your intention as if it is completed.  Example, “My brilliant film is completed.”  Now, what’s on your “to do” list for the day?  Focus on it and expect the universe to help you.

Listen Carefully

Pay attention because the universe now believes that your film is finished and they have to catch up with you.  You may be introduced to a D.P., pitch the film, perhaps they will come on board and work with you to get the funding or lend their name.

Fred Alan Wolf says that when you are daydreaming about the future, that there is a “handshake across time” that occurs and this vision may become a reality in the future. So expect things to   happen to move your film forward.

Accept all invitations and go as if you film is funded. I want you to have that air of confidence about you.  Let them know you are doing something really cool, if they want to get involved, please join me because I am doing this with or without you.

Something that’s Never Been Tried Before

I read treatments and review proposals for over 500 documentaries and films each year.  Some apply for the Roy W. Dean Film Grant.  Some apply for fiscal sponsorship through From The Heart Productions for indiegogo.com.

Many are fantastic, can’t miss stories that have you anticipating standing in line for a ticket.  But, many of those do not get made due to doubts and fears the filmmaker has about the project getting produced and their ability to produce it.

Can filmmakers be taught to create intent?  Well, I believe they can and I have intended it to be.  I just created a class called Intentional Filmmaking.   It combines mentoring in filmmaking along with teaching how to manifest to leverage your intent.  A class like this has never been tried.  But, I know, and my intent is, that it will work.

Filmmakers need to know that our intentions (thoughts) can create things on this physical plane.  They need to intend goals that are possible.  Not to get $1 million in 30 days.  They need goals that they can honestly reach and set a timeline for achievement.    When they have the will to attain that goal, they can’t be stopped.

by Carole Dean

About year ago Helen Hall applied for our Dean grant in NYC with her brilliant film, Pictures of Infinity about the incredible inventor, Nikola Tesla.

She was a finalist in the grant and when she didn’t win I asked her if she would like to work with From the Heart as her fiscal sponsor and let us help her raise money.  She agreed and we set to work on creating the trailer and improving the proposal. Helen was open to all suggestions and made changes and followed through after each consultation.

We gave her names of grants that I thought would fund her film and she applied to all of them.  She had a matching grant for $30, 000 that was about to expire and we were both reviewing all grants available to get that money.

After months of hard work and only 5 days until her matching grant was expiring, the mail arrived on Dec 26 and there was a check from one of the places FTH suggested. A little known granting organization had sent her a check for $30,000.00.  Can you imagine my excitement knowing that with her matching grant this meant $60,000.00 to her? 

 Here was her funding for the interviews with physicists, an even better trailer and much more!  What a wonderful holiday gift for Helen.

 See, it’s a test of faith, please never give up.  Never stop believing.  Just know it will come from wherever it is now.

 Focus on doing the work and let the universe do their part.  They will not let you down.

by Carole Dean

Many filmmakers might consider it a miracle if their film got nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe or a Spirit Award.  They might consider it a miracle if their film got made!  Miracles can happen.  But, creating miracles like this don’t just begin with a good story or a great director.  Creating miracles starts with understanding the universal law of manifesting.

The age of miracles has not passed.  We all have an immense power that allows us create.  Creating miracles is identifying with the universal laws to create your future. This power is not outside you, it is inside.  You are in charge.

You are eternal and infinite.  The universal law for manifesting is impartial.  It has no way of knowing what you want.  It is pure energy and takes the thoughts you send out and returns them to you unemotionally and in the form you asked for.

I meditated on the films fiscally sponsored through From The Heart Productions and asked for abundance.  I asked for hundreds of donations before the holidays.  Right after my request, we received over 100 donations in a matter of days.  However, they were mostly $10 and $20.  So you see, I did not ask for LARGE donations for my filmmakers.  It’s a learning process.

This law will give you what you believe in.  If you think it won’t work or that you don’t deserve it, you are seriously limiting yourself.  So, trust me when I say the beliefs you express as your thoughts and feelings are what you are sending to the universe.  You need to think like you did when you were a kid, i.e., that you can do anything, your powers are limitless.  Go back to your thinking before people began to say, “You can’t do that!”

We are not our bodies; we are spirit living in a body. We came to this earth as spirit.  Remembering that is part of creating miracles.  You came in with a goal and that goal is part of you. It may be as simple as learning to love you.

To manifest you need to be sending thoughts and feelings of the highest caliber about yourself.  Always know that “you are the greatest.”  Muhammad Ali tapped into this miracle manifestation on a daily basis.  We can learn from him as we daily say to ourselves how great we are.

The power of the universal law is always with you.  It will fulfill your thoughts and feelings.

The next step is look at the nature of your beliefs.  You may have established belief about what can and cannot be done.  You may believe that people can lift a certain weight and no more, run at a certain speed and no faster.

It is a matter of perception and belief.  Your ability to work miracles is predicated on how easily and quickly you can move away from world belief patterns and step above them.  You need to mentally leave where you are now and step into the unknown.

Imagine the universal law as a shipping clerk in a factory.

It gets your order and he/she sends out what you ask for, a request for a size 12 gets a size 12.  This energy is there to send you what you ask for.  Be aware that your thoughts and feelings are sending requests daily to the universal mind and it responds by delivering the same.  You need to be sure of what you want and make a strong “ask” with your intentions clearly defined.  The power is within you.  Use it to manifest miracles daily.

by Carole Dean

A brilliant Australian author, Brendan Murphy, has cleverly compiled information for us about language.  He says based on research that “human language seems to have emerged from the grammatical and syntactical structures within our very own DNA”

We know as artists that words are the most important part of our films, our written materials, and especially our “pitches.”  Finding the right words to touch hearts, engage people to donate, and support our projects is paramount to their success.

What’s so important to me about this information is that it supports what we
“think” we know and assures us that we are correct in taking care to choose the right words to reach our audiences.  If we are all coded with words then our job is to resonate with each other through these words.  Words that create visions, feelings, and emotions bring our art to life in another human.

This means phrases like, “I hope to” or “I would like to” should be dropped for “I am making” and “I am creating…”  Watching your words can improve your health and your finances.

Brendan goes on to say that “Because the structures of DNA base pairs and of language are so similar, we can alter our own genetics by simply using words and sentences as has been experimentally proven.”  That means that by repeating each day sayings such as “I am truly blessed” can benefit you.

He continues with “This finally and scientifically explains why affirmations, autogenous training, hypnosis and the like can have such strong effects on humans and their bodies.”

Inspirational author Louise Hay recorded what she said when she was diagnosed with cancer.  She found upon playback that she sounded very negative and changed her words and changed her health and she was able to run Hay House for many years. There are many such stories available on this subject.  It’s up to us to experiment with this concept to improve our lives and create our art.

Consider saying dozens of times a day, “My art is funded,”  “I am truly blessed.”

Keep your words full of love and respect for you and all you encounter.  Remember that words are energy and if you send out good energy it will return to you tenfold.

Source of information on Brendan Murphy:

http://www.facebook.com/The.Grand.Illusion.Books

 

Abundance

Have you seen the video on indiegogo.com about Karen, the bus monitor that was being bullied?  If you want money for your art I suggest you look at that video and take note of the emotions you feel while you are watching it. http://bit.ly/LSlE0X

I felt ashamed that people would treat other people like this.

I felt her hurt and I wanted to reach out to her.

I understood why they wanted to document this event and ask for money for Karen and I wanted to help.  This is the first law of film funding, wanting to be part of it.

There was something in it for me.  That’s the key issue here.  “What’s in it for me?” This is always paramount in the contributor’s mind.  To me, donating was a way to say I am sorry you were hurt and I want to help you.

This video came at the perfect time for all of us to see how much we care for each other.  Karen raised over $680,000.00 and they wanted $5000.00.

That tells us there is an immense amount of money available.  So, please keep this uppermost in your mind.  There is abundance.

What’s different about Karen’s campaign than others?  It had publicity.

It went viral.  That video was everywhere at once.  It is the true definition of “do it with others” which is the motto of crowd funding.

They sent that video to the right places or it found the right places and it has the elements needed to attract money.

The question is, “What can you do with your trailer to evoke emotion and need?”

And, how do you get it to go viral?  Answer those and your film is funded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The individual, having free will, must consciously with full determination, make the demand, and it cannot fail to come forth into expression, no matter what it is so long as the individual holds an unwavering determinate consciousness.” — The “I AM” discourses by Saint Germain

by Carole Dean

I have seen this happen many times in the film world. People making films, that I would bet you could never be financed, not only get them funded but got them distributed and did a fantastic job of self-distribution. How is this possible?

That question is what prompted me to write the book, The Art of Manifesting. I was watching these filmmakers wondering what the secret is.  I could see filmmakers with equal education, equal talent, all having lots of passion for their project wondering what makes one finish a successful film and the other go back to dental school?

It’s their belief. Their constant belief that the film is made because they know it and they believe it. Perhaps it is on another level and they just have to bring it into this dimension. They can see it from beginning to end, they know they have the right crew, that the music will be perfect, edit is superb and they know this when they are writing the proposal! This “constantly making the demand of the universe” works; I have seen it in many cases.

You can use this for various stages of production. Use it for crowd funding. I have seen two separate filmmakers call me with only a few days left on their deadlines and both needing about $5,000.00 more. Neither of them knew anyone that could donate so much money. I told them to see themselves hitting the goal. Let go and give it to the universe.

Both of them hit their goals with donations at the last minute! Don’t tell me this doesn’t work. Belief is your most important asset.

Talented people have many ideas for projects.  Take the time to feel into them one by one to know which one the universe wants you to make at this time. I have seen films delayed for years only to find the right time and zoom to completion like they were on the Indianapolis speedway. So, is this the time for the project? Ask yourself, which one can I make now?

Take a walk without your cell phone so you can get into the universal consciousness. Ask which film to make now, focus and listen to answers. Once you know the film then begin to visualize it from beginning to end. You must know what you want. You need to send up a completed film as a bundle to get heaven to move things around and bring you what you need.

From this day on, your belief becomes your most important asset. Never doubt. Someone else has trouble getting funding, that’s not your world. You are set to fund and finish your film. Please keep believing your film is finished. Know in your heart it is funded by the universe.

Belief in your ability and belief in your film is your ace in the hole. Make your demand on heaven with “full determination and it cannot fail to come forth into expression.”

For followers of my blog, email me for a free download of the CD of The Art of Manifesting with an effective manifesting meditation for you.   caroleedean@att.net

by Carole Dean

The definition of manifest from www.dictionary.com  is:

1. readily perceived by the eye or the understanding; evident; obvious; apparent; plain
2. to prove; put beyond doubt or question
   1. clearly defined, not hidden

With those options in mind, it’s easy to understand that we are manifesting daily with our words.  How you use them to bring you money depends on two major things.

You must be able to visually describe your film so it is “clearly defined”.  When you want to pitch your film, making your vision apparent to them is of utmost importance.  A good pitch is a verbal description of your film.  You want people to see your film as you speak the words.  You are making the film obvious to them.  That’s what closes a donation or an investment, a visual image given by you to them through your words.

Next, you must have faith in your film to make “an ask” for money with certainty.  This must remove any doubts the investor/donor may have.   When you talk about your film, people can “feel” your attitude.  When you say, “I am trying to raise money to make this film,” that means you are not certain. They may doubt your ability to raise all the funds.

It’s your faith in yourself that people “feel.”  When you are certain you can make a film and raise the funds necessary, then you are on track to funding.

If you have any doubts, please don’t pitch until you are aligned with your goals.  You may want to review your budget.  If you believe it’s too much money for you to raise, then it is.  Reduce it until you feel you can do it.  These days you need to know you can do it by yourself.  Once you fully believe that you can find investors/donors and that your film will make a return on investment then start pitching your film.  Because at that point you will be ten times more effective.  People will feel your belief in yourself and your film.

The same goes for documentary filmmakers. If your documentary budget is too high, use your brilliant mind to find ways to cut costs.  Get the budget to what you think you can raise in a reasonable amount of time.

As filmmakers/artists, you need to believe without a doubt that you can raise the money and make a successful film.

Manifesting the funds and making the film start with a clearly defined goal, proposal or outline and a visual pitch with no doubts attached.  Perhaps a good daily affirmation is “My faith funded my film.”

The second edition of The Art of Film Funding: Alternative Financing Concepts is available mid June of 2012.

 

 

“When the mind accepts and agrees with a thing or condition, the individual decrees it into this world.”     From The I AM Discourses by Saint Germain.

by Carole Dean

Where the mind goes, the attention goes.  When you have the slightest doubt about financing your film or any art form, then your attention begins on the “what if” path.  Once you go down that path, you’re stepping into doubt, fear, and sadness.

One of the first questions to ask at the beginning of the filmmaking/artistic process is, “Do I want to dedicate 5 years of my life to this?”  If the answer is a resounding YES, then you have made your decision from a strong base.  You cannot allow any negative thought.  Your mind will grab hold and you will sink into depression.

Remember who you are.  You are perfection.  You are here to create your art.  Why would the universe not support you?  They gave you all these talents and now you think they will desert you?  No.  You are fully supported.  Your mind can create obstacles and it’s up to you to constantly stand in the knowledge that you are perfect and you will achieve your goal.

What you want, you can achieve.  Where ever you let you attention rest, your mind will follow.  Be sure to keep only the highest intentions on the outcome of your art.   See completion in each step.

Visualize the end result because your mind is exceptionally powerful.  It is through your mind and your belief in self that you can achieve your goals.  Your visions can become your reality.  That is a natural gift humans have.  Your job is to use your power of manifesting through visualization on a daily basis, become familiar with it and institute it.

If doubt or fear creep in then remove yourself and find a quiet place.  Sit and center yourself.  Remember that you are a perfect human and you are here to create your art and continuously say  “I am blessed” until you feel your confidence returning.

Faith funds art.  It’s your faith in your art that carries you through the process from beginning to end.  This can be a joyous journey when you are aware of who you are and your innate powers to create and manifest.

by Carole Dean

How often do you brag?  I mean say things like, I am really good at directing or I am an excellent writer.

In this industry, you have to be your own PR person. 

More importantly, you want to send your information to the “quantum field.”  That is the field of all possibilities that Dr. Chopra talks about and Lynn McTaggart in her book, The Field.

So, what can happen?

You will get better and better.  Not necessarily as a bragger, but as a director or writer (or whatever your claim may be) Why?  Because you will start to believe in you.  Keep accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative and your words become manifested.  You start to write or direct or act better and you can feel it.

It works.  Your art just keeps getting better, ideas come to you from out of left field, and they are brilliant.  You are tuned into that radio station I talked about in the Walking Wi Fi blog.  You are connected and you know it and you get better and better at your work and your confidence soars.

But what will my friends say? 

Honestly, they will probably agree with you either secretly or openly.  You are more talented than you think.  So brag about it and what if someone says, aren’t you bragging?  You can say yes, I am very proud of what I just wrote or directed or the part I played.  I did a good job.

It’s contagious. 

Your partner may start to do the same thing and you will begin to hear your friends bragging.  Just know that you have started something that works.  We all feel better about ourselves when things are clicking and we know that we are working with an external force.

This field of infinite possibilities is there for all of us.  It’s just a matter of tapping into it.  One of the best ways is by bragging.  You are sending your vision of who and what you want to be and the field accepts that information, i.e., a good writer, a good director.  Sorry, I meant a great writer, a fantastic director.

So, it sends back ideas and confidence and keeps you moving to a higher status.  You will attract better jobs and more people will recommend you and want to work with you.

Be braggadocios for a month and see what happens.  I dare you!

 

Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions; a 501(c)3 non-profit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She hosts the weekly podcast, The Art of Film Funding, interviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film production. Her new class “How to Fund Your Film” is available on Vimeo on Demand.  She is also the author of  The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts.  See IMDB for producing credits

by Carole Dean

You are more powerful than you realize.  How you react to situations affects your health, state of mind and future.  You can keep your cool in the face of adversity or get mad and take everyone down with you.  An old saying goes:

It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react to what happens. 

When we are in the moment of rejection or loss it’s hard to be so philosophical, but that’s what can save us.  If we believe there is a greater power watching out for us then perhaps we can handle the situation without over reacting.  Emotional upset is a major energy drain and it affects our self esteem.  When we feel rejected or unappreciated, we take this personally.  Think back to some of your worst moments, then move ahead six months and see what happened in your life.

You may find that a crisis was really an opportunity for change.  And what you thought was a crisis, later became a beneficial turning point in your life.  But, not all benefits are in the form of money.  Look at this Chinese Parable.

The Old Man and his Horse

There once was an old man who lived with his only son at the border of the state.  The old man had a strong affection to his horses and he let them graze freely in the open meadow.

One day a servant reported that a horse was missing and told him how sorry he was for him.  The old man was not bothered, “Who knows?  The loss may bring us good fortune.” he said.

A few months later a strange thing happened.  The horse returned and brought with it another fine horse.  Everyone told him how lucky he was and he replied, “Who knows?”

One day when the old man’s son was riding the new horse he was thrown off, broke his leg, and was crippled.  “Who knows? This may bring us good fortune” said the old man.

A year later, the neighboring state sent troops across the border. All the young, strong men were drafted to fight invaders and most of them were killed.  The old man’s son was not drafted because the riding accident had saved his life.

The old man was not attached to the outcome, either good or bad. He just knew there was a greater force that was protecting him and he had the patience and faith to wait for the outcome.  He knew he had the power and he used it for his betterment.

I know that’s difficult when you put your art out and people reject it.  However, if you can find a way to not react to your immediate feeling of loss or anger, it will benefit you.  You are the artist and it’s you who walks out of that meeting with your many talents that the other person probably does not have.  So, thank heaven for who you are and all you have.

When something happens that seems like a major loss you have a choice.  You can feel guilty; lose your confidence or just say to yourself, “Who knows?  This may bring me good fortune.”

It’s your choice.  You have the power.  Use your power to your benefit.

by Carole Dean

Look at this scene from I Heart the Huckabees:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOgQAMdKdyg

Dustin Hoffman explains one of the most complicated ideas in a very simple way.  You are connected to your art like you are to your loved ones.

Our job is to see the big picture through the blanket.  We need to remember we are all connected, that’s something we can begin to accept but the hammer and the Eiffel tower are in the blanket too?  That means we must move to the next level of consciousness, ok, we can do that.  Dustin told us once we are there we find that everything we want or to be we already have and are.  So how do we do it?

First we start each day with our daily mantra: “Move over Ali, I am also the Greatest! I can make movies, and support and nurture everything around me.  I know that confidence and faith in me are paramount to receiving and understanding the blanket truth.”  Never ever put yourself down.  Always support and nurture yourself.  Remember, you are perfect.

Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich says that a major characteristic of people who achieve their goals is that they are living at a higher level, enjoying richness in their life and they have a burning desire to achieve.  That’s us.  We have burning desires to achieve our art and we need to move to a higher consciousness to realize our full potential as human beings.  Why do some people achieve great success and others struggle?  We need to find that highway to success because we have seen others zoom ahead in the industry, so where is the on ramp?

Focus.  We must remain focused and continually send visuals of our goals as completed to the universe.  We need to treat our art as if it exists because it does on another plane.  We see it in our heads so all we have to do is bring it into this dimension and we do that through our words and visions.

We each have a Higher Self.  Get in touch with that part of you.  Pay more attention to the quick thoughts that come to you.  Did you ask for guidance?  If so, it may be an answer to that question.

Often our Higher Self gives us ideas and ways to make each day easier.  Give that information attention; believe what the Higher Self says.  Take an umbrella on a sunny day.  Take that invitation to a networking event, listen to this Inner Voice. I work with mine each day and it gets stronger the more you believe in it. Always give thanks for the information you get, be grateful for what you have and for your guidance.

I watched a documentary called Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows.  One comment often made about Clint was he stayed on the set; he seldom left because he wanted to stay focused on all aspects of filmmaking.  Clint said he liked to work from a quiet, relaxed place, that’s where you hear the Inner Voice.  His peers said he had an inner knowing about directing and seemed to be able to make quick decisions accurately.  That’s what it’s like when you are “in the field” where you are connected to your Higher Self, working inside the blanket.

While delivering a speech to the senior class at Harvard, someone in the audience asked 3 time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali to give them a poem and he created this in an instant.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXQ_IjzWN7A  It may be the shortest poem on record.

Ali is a great manifestor.  Listen to how free he is with words; he is not afraid to commend himself.  He knows that words manifest and he has never to my mind put himself down with his words.  He always tells us how great he is and at the same time he is sending the universe this information on how talented he is and he just gets more talented.  He always spoke with a freedom from society’s oppressive concepts.

You were probably taught, “don’t toot your own horn!” Or, “You can’t brag, that’s not nice.”  Yes, it is.  You should be bragging about yourself from the moment you wake up.  Tell everyone how good you are at what you do.  Why not?  Use Ali as a guide. He did it and he only got better and better from his belief in himself.  He believed what he said and we did too. We reinforced his beliefs.

Let’s pretend your words are creating your future.  Now, you want to send the most positive, brilliant statements known to man about yourself.  Tell everyone how great you really are.  You need to build your own self confidence.  Why?  Because money and fame do not go to people who have no confidence or who constantly say, I can’t, I am not, I don’t, what if X happens?, etc.

You were born with an immense amount of talent.  Go back to that simple life you had as a child where you manifested what you needed.  Just think about the first three years of your life, you could not talk but you got what you needed.  You were able to communicate with your parents without words.

Then, you learned to talk and you kept your imagination working and you daydreamed all the time.  It is part of childhood.  You daydreamed on getting your first bike, or skateboard and you got it. Then you learned how to use it in a flash.  Was that just coincidence?  No, it was your mind that created your future.

Somewhere in those early teen years controls were put on you and you began to close down your thinking. You started to criticize yourself and say, I can’t do that, I am not good at that, etc.  And, guess what?  You stopped any growth in those areas.  Now, you can undo that simply by starting to say, Yes, I can do that, Yes, I am good at that. You have to really believe it but you can do it.

This is most important to manifesting your film and your future.  You must have the highest vibration to bring what you need and want into your life.  This vibration comes from the words you use.  Look on Dr. Emoto’s web site and see the pictures he has of different words.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAvzsjcBtx8 )

Surround yourself with high vibrational words.

Your greatest manifestor is your mind, next are your words. You see something in your mind, like your film then how do you bring that film from your mind to this third dimension?  You do it with words.

You manifest something from nothing with words.  Each word has a unique energy and you want words with the highest energy in your vocabulary not negative low vibration words.  Get rid of low vibrational words like no, ugly, bad, can’t, impossible, hate, kill, and daily be conscious of the words you use.  They are powerful.  Try this for a week and censor your words.  Use only the high vibrational words: love, gratitude, honesty, integrity, great, greatest, brilliant, joy, happiness, etc.

Ali knew that.  He used words that create images and build futures.  He made things happen with his words.  He is my greatest example of how to use words to create a future.  Copy Ali. He won’t mind, he will love it.  Take on his energy of “I am the greatest!”  That is the first step to manifesting a brilliant future.  Love thyself.  Be worthy of all that the universe can give you.

by Carole Dean

It was in the 50’s and thank heavens Sandra Lunsford had a car. We were five ladies that spent each weekend together and her car gave us so much freedom, it let us zip around Lakewood, our stomping grounds, in Dallas, Texas.

Friday nights were always special. We would pile into the old Plymouth and head for the “hot spot” which in those days was a drive-in.  We would usually get a coke and French fries to share because we were not there to eat, heaven forbid!  We were there to check things out, like who’s dating whom?  What were they wearing? Did they have make up on?  Just important life-sustaining information for a teenager.

One night the 5 of us were in the car and we were talking to the car of guys next to us as we usually did.  We never got out of the car, it was our safety zone.  When things got boring or there wasn’t anyone interesting, we left.  This night was special because I began an interesting conversation with a nice looking man who did not go to Woodrow Wilson High School or any other school in the area

The only problem was he looked “old” but his intellect compensated for it.  We must have talked for almost an hour hanging out of the car windows.  I found him to be most wonderful person I had ever talked to. He won my heart when he asked “What are you doing for the rest of your life?”  After that Richard Herrin and I were inseparable.

My parents were most particular about the boys I dated but they let me go out with Richard because he was old enough to respect my father’s wishes and always brought me home at 10pm, I was only 16 at the time.  I had to drag war stories out of him but I was very curious to know what happened to paralyze his left hand and finally he told me.

He enlisted in the war when he was 16 and served his country well.  He was decorated and had a medical discharge keeping him out of any future battles.  When the Korean War began he wrote to the Commandant of the Marines asking to re enlist saying he was “fit for duty and ready to serve his country”.  The Marines gladly took him.

Richard was sent right to the thick of the war and he told me stories about these “hills” they had to capture and the amount of lives lost for just one hill.  He never complained he was truly patriotic and sincerely believed in what he fought for.

One night during the Korean War, Richard told me he was on patrol when he took a bullet through his neck and passed out.  The next thing he remembered was the feeling of a boot on his chest and he realized a Korean soldier was standing over him pulling a bayonet out of his chest.

The Korean left him for dead and moved on to kill other soldiers.  Richard worked hard to stay awake because he thought if he passed out again he would die.  He was feeling very weak and close to death from the loss of blood when a medic came by.  Richard said “Get me to the hospital,” the medic said, “The next flight is almost full” and walked away.  Richard could hear him saying, “This one looks pretty bad, we should take someone who has a better chance of living.”

Richard knew if he didn’t get on that flight he would die and he called the medic back and said, “I already have one Purple Heart, don’t give up on me, I can make it!”  That was enough to get him on the flight. His faith was incredible, he knew laying there on that cold earth that he could live if he could just get to a hospital.  He willed himself on that plane, they actually squeezed him in.  He was the last man they took on that flight.  Richard said he let the sound of the engines lull him to sleep despite the pain, knowing he would live.

Do you think he willed himself to safety?  I do.  I think his faith and his passion for living got him on that plane.  This will power we have is our greatest asset.  It’s different than force; it’s a way to make things happen with your mind, your belief and your determination.  You know all those talents filmmakers like you have.  It’s up to you to use this magnificent will power to bring your film to fruition. You need to want something so much that you are part creator in achieving it.  You need to will the universe to comply with your wishes. Can you be that strong and unrelenting?

You know you can do it so it’s just a matter of willing it to be.  Use all of your will power conjuring up visions and feeling into the completion.  It’s your intentions created by your will power that makes it happen.  You probably know the story of Spielberg getting on the lot at Universal but the best part is that he knew he would be a famous filmmaker and he befriended the projectionist.  He actually talked him into playing his short film, Amblin, when the dailies were over so the top people could see his work.  That’s how he got his first job.  He willed it so.

Richard served his country again for President Kennedy in the Bay of Pigs…but that’s another story.

By Carole Dean

What is your potential?

Have you ever set your intentions on what you want to achieve in this life time or even in the next 6 months?  How many times have you to planned to achieve something and done it?

I remember completing 10 sessions of Rolfing and at the end my Rolf practitioner shook my hand and said, “The power is in completion.”  That is true; when you finish something you release some wonderful power surge. This is self appreciation, so enjoy it and compliment yourself.  Make it a point to complete things.

Planning, executing and completion are our ticket to reaching our potential.  One major benefit we have of staying on track is to keep listening to our inner voice.  Is it supporting?  Or, does it tell you that you can’t?  Sometimes we have to overcome our greatest enemy, ourselves.  How?  By being aware of limits we put on ourselves.  Listen to yourself, when you say, I can’t do that, think, why not?   If John can, why can’t I?  The question is “will that something take you closer to your vision?”  If yes, then, of course you can.  The vision is the quest and the universe will take you to your destination if you let it.

Tune into the “field of infinite possibilities” on a daily basis.  Use your hunches.  Listen to what people tell you, especially when you ask for help.  Normally the universe will give you hunches or ideas and if you don’t listen they often send someone to tell you the answer to your question.  Yes, I have seen it happen to me dozens of times.  You are talking about a different subject and the other person tells you the answer to your question without knowing how meaningful it is to you.

If “the zero point field”(http://bit.ly/I89BNR) contains all the information of what is and what will be, it’s your job to keep putting your future into that field.  What’s more fun than day dreaming?  We did it as kids.

Pretending that you are doing what you want to do creates a pathway in consciousness.  It’s important to believe that this vision is happening in the present.  The vision you daydream stays in the field and it becomes a potential.  Now it’s up to you to keep listening to your little voice to achieve that potential.  Plus, you have asked for something so things will change in your life to bring that to you, move with the changes.

When in doubt ask your higher self for guidance.  Find a quiet place and outline the situation then give two possible options for resolution.  That’s all you need to do, leave it to them.  Normally, within 24 hours you will have a 3^rd option that is much better.

You are not alone.  You have a team working for you on the other side.  They want you to reach your potential even more than you do.  So, call on them.  Remember gratitude is one of the highest vibrations in the universe.  When you thank them for their support your gratitude raises your vibration and you feel like a million dollars.  It is self love and gratitude that propels you to achieve your potential.

 

 

 

“When the mind changes it absolutely affects the body.”  Bruce Lipton—Biology of Belief

by Carole Dean

No, we have no nocebos today.

We have heard the power of the placebo and how it works in trials even more than the actual pills.  Just one example is a California interior designer who was given a placebo for her 30 year depression and x-rays proved her prefrontal cortex showed marked improvement.  Her belief in the pill cured her.  (Leuchter, et al, 2002) 

Ok, so what about the Doctors who tell someone they can’t be cured and they die soon afterwards?  That’s called the nocebo effect, the power of negative beliefs.  This can be a dangerous road to travel.

In 1974, Dr. Meador was on the Discovery Health program “Placebo Mind over Medicine” and he told the story of a Nashville salesman who was suffering from cancer of the esophagus.  He was treated and appeared to recover but everyone in the medical profession expected his cancer to return and they told him if it came back he would die.  That’s just what happened.

The salesman began to have some symptoms and he thought it was cancer and so did Meador.  He died very quickly because of his belief in the medical world.  The autopsy showed that he did not die from cancer!  Meador said he still worries that he may have removed hope of recovery through his words.

Ahh, now we are at the heart of the matter.  Words, it’s all about words.  As filmmakers we know how important it is write each word to fit the energy of the film and move the story forward. 

Now we need to realize how important our every word is.  Each word you speak has energy.  It can be negative or positive.  If you consider that each word has a different vibration and gives a different formation (See http://bit.ly/Ivimwx for Dr. Emoto) then what type of energy are you sending out with your words?  Are they placebos, making my film is the easiest thing I have done… or nocebos… I am having a very hard time making this film. My efforts are not working.

Watch your words. They can help you create your film and your future.  Each one has a different energy.  Find the words that best describe your film and use them over and over.  This puts a new meaning to the log line.  These words need to visually show me the story as you speak them.

Please, see your film each time you pitch it and keep watching that vision come to life when you read your script and say your log line.  Let your words create your film like placebos create wellness, through their energy and your belief system.  And watch your words, no nocebos, please!

 

Your beliefs act like filters on a camera, changing how you see the world.  And your biology adapts to those beliefs. —-Bruce Lipton  The Biology of Belief

Do you see yourself as a writer or as a high school teacher?  When someone asks you what do you do, how do you answer them?  What information are you sending to the universe?  That’s important.

Once I began saying I am a writer things began to change for me.  As I wrote my Art of Film Funding book, each day I said, “I love my publisher” over and over knowing full well I did not have a publisher and that I would publish the book myself and I did.  Then, after teaching this book a few months, honest to God, Michael Wiese Publications contacted me and said, “Carole, we would like to publish your book.”  I was expecting it.

A key element for any writer’s success is to believe and to live in the consciousness that what you want has already happened.  I promised myself when writing the book that I would publish it and I put the money aside to prove it.  Do you see your script as a finished film? Are you looking at it from the beginning with the credits rolling?  I think you need to go to your favorite screening room; I love Raleigh’s, and sit there by the controls and pretend the room is packed.

You tell the projectionist to “roll it.”  And you sit back and watch the titles come up and beam with pride.  Say to yourself, “Yes, I chose the right director!” “Yes, that set designer is brilliant,” and keep sending bundles of joy and success to the universe as you sit in a room imaging your successful screening of your finished film.

Once you have the feel of the room, you can recall that at night as you go to sleep or while walking and driving.  Just continue to see and feel that success and the completion of the film.  Let’s prove to Bruce Lipton that your beliefs can change your biology.  You are a happy person having just screened your favorite screenplay.  Keep basking in that feeling of success.  Believe that money is all around you.  Know that on a daily basis, you attract the right people, money and services to create your film.

You need to remember that things will change in your life to bring you what you are asking for. Be open to taking invitations; make all the calls referred to you.  Always take the time to chat with people you accidentally meet.  Your angles may have spent a lot of time getting both of you in the same place.

Fred Alan Wolf in his book, “The Dreaming Universe” says that “when you are daydreaming it’s like a handshake across time.”  Your vision, coupled with your belief and conviction will make things in your current life change to bring what you want.  Watch for new people to come into your life.

Expect a miracle.  It will happen.  You can have your cake and eat it too.  But you have to claim your rights.

Who are you?  A writer.  Claim it, own it, and be proud of it.

 

We often hear sages say this, but, what does it mean?

by Carole Dean

It means each of us has our own signature, we are all different, and we are all unique.  Each of us carries a different frequency; we vibrate to a different drummer if you want to think of it that way.  Quantum physics say we are all created with vibrating strings, each of our atoms and molecules have a vibrating string inside.  So what does this mean and how can we use this?

We need to keep ourselves in a “higher vibration.”  The frequency of joy and gratitude are very high vibrations.  Just look at Dr. Emoto’s frozen water crystals.  He put words on jars with water so the water would vibrate to that word.  Then he froze the water and cut it up into crystals.  This page shows a crystal of love and gratitude.  http://bit.ly/GGEPrp If you want to feel as beautiful as this crystal, then stay in that energy.

One of our greatest assets is our emotions.  Just think how you feel when something wonderful happens to you and you are in “joy.”  That takes you closer to who you really are, a spiritual being, that’s who we all are, spiritual beings.  Yes, we are spirit inside this wonderful body. We are spirit, “that all knowing essence.”

We have this inner knowing, some people call it intuition.  We know when the timing is right for things.  We know when to chill out.  We have this wonderful sense of timing and we seldom speak about it

Using this gift is tantamount to creating our films.  We need to know when to ask that rich person and we need to know just what to say.  Tuning into our higher selves gives us an advantage.  It allows us to move forward with confidence because we trust our inner self.

Living our lives in joy and gratitude is one of our best assets.  Each day we thank the universe for all of our marvelous gifts.  The home we have, the food we eat, and the family we love.  All of these things are our daily blessings and we honor them.  Through gratitude we touch on our higher selves and through joy we rise above the controlling factors that are always “telling us we can’t do this.”  We know we can.

When you consistently live in gratitude and joy, people sense it.  They listen to you talk about your film and you allay any fears immediately because you are coming from a place of truth, joy, faith.  Once they “feel” that you are sincere they become more interested.  When you are operating in fear and lack that is easy for them to “read.”  They too have a higher self who is tuning into you.  If and when they sense your lack of confidence, they pull back and fear takes over them!

It’s our higher selves that know how creative we really are because it knows the creativity we came in with.   Imagine that while you are talking to a potential donor/investor.  Your higher self is talking to their higher self.  I know it’s crazy but what if that is happening?  What if their higher self is reading your body language and your confidence or lack of?  That would give them an edge, right?  They would sense your lack of confidence and end the conversation.

However, through living in joy and gratitude, we can achieve even above our dreams.  Remember Oprah said that the universe had much more in store for her than she ever dreamed of?  She put no restrictions on her creativity; she knew she would be successful.  Why not be another Oprah?  Why not let the universe support your dreams.  Know that you are a special being with an incredible amount of talent and creativity.  Thank the universe each day for all your blessings and each day look for something joyous.  When you use gratitude, joy and faith in yourself on a daily basis, you will come across as confident, talented and the magnificent being that you really are.

Your beliefs act like filters on a camera, changing how you see the world.  And your biology adapts to those beliefs. —-Bruce Lipton  The Biology of Belief

By Carole Dean

Do you see yourself as a writer or as a high school teacher?  When someone asks you what do you do, how do you answer them?  What information are you sending to the universe?  That’s important.

Once I began saying I am a writer things began to change for me.  As I wrote my Art of Film Funding book, each day I said, “I love my publisher” over and over knowing full well I did not have a publisher and that I would publish the book myself and I did.  Then, after teaching this book a few months, honest to God, Michael Wiese Publications contacted me and said, “Carole, we would like to publish your book.”  I was expecting it.

A key element for any writer’s success is to believe and to live in the consciousness that what you want has already happened.  I promised myself when writing the book that I would publish it and I put the money aside to prove it.  Do you see your script as a finished film? Are you looking at it from the beginning with the credits rolling?  I think you need to go to your favorite screening room; I love Raleigh’s, and sit there by the controls and pretend the room is packed.

You tell the projectionist to “roll it.”  And you sit back and watch the titles come up and beam with pride.  Say to yourself, “Yes, I chose the right director!” “Yes, that set designer is brilliant,” and keep sending bundles of joy and success to the universe as you sit in a room imaging your successful screening of your finished film.

Once you have the feel of the room, you can recall that at night as you go to sleep or while walking and driving.  Just continue to see and feel that success and the completion of the film.  Let’s prove to Bruce Lipton that your beliefs can change your biology.  You are a happy person having just screened your favorite screenplay.  Keep basking in that feeling of success.  Believe that money is all around you.  Know that on a daily basis, you attract the right people, money and services to create your film.

You need to remember that things will change in your life to bring you what you are asking for. Be open to taking invitations; make all the calls referred to you.  Always take the time to chat with people you accidentally meet.  Your angles may have spent a lot of time getting both of you in the same place.

Fred Alan Wolf in his book, “The Dreaming Universe” says that “when you are daydreaming it’s like a handshake across time.”  Your vision, coupled with your belief and conviction will make things in your current life change to bring what you want.  Watch for new people to come into your life.

Expect a miracle.  It will happen.  You can have your cake and eat it too.  But you have to claim your rights.

Who are you?  A writer.  Claim it, own it, and be proud of it.

When It Comes to Your Pitch, Moor Is Sometimes Better

After my son Rick died, as a way to communicate with him, and to pretend he was still here, I would ask him to help me find my glasses. What’s so funny is that eventually they would turn up in a place I could have sworn I looked.

In September of 2007, I traveled to New Zealand and I specifically remember packing my rhinestone reading glasses. I had flown to Auckland to give a $3,000 award to the best pitch in the DOC NZ film festival.

One of the filmmakers in my pitch class was Jeannette Howe who had the most heart and courage of any filmmaker I had seen recently. She wanted to film a group of teen-age actors doing Othello. Doesn’t sound very interesting, does it?  That’s what I thought when she practiced her pitch in a pitch class with me the day before the major funding award session. I hoped she was a better filmmaker than pitch maker.  My son Rick was an incredible actor who taught me that taking risks makes for interesting performances. Wasn’t a pitch a performance?  I suggested she try bringing the actors on stage with her when she pitched her project in front of the judge the next day.

When Jeannette nervously walked on the stage the next day to give the judge her final pitch, a little voice said to me, “Give her the money.” I was shocked. I had just heard a fantastic pitch from a woman that I’m sure the judge wanted me to choose. I know he expected me to give her my money.

Before I could even find my checkbook, four entrance doors flew open and eight beautiful male Polynesian teens exploded into the room. They were singing romantic Island songs, spouting Shakespeare, and clowning around with a hand-held video camera. Some played hand-carved native drums and others danced to Maori war chants. They simply stole my heart. I knew I had to give them the award. This was a film that deserved to be made.

The only female on the crew, their fearless leader, said the purpose for recording the play was to get a DVD into schools to introduce teens to Shakespeare, to better their communication skills, and for them to learn to appreciate the Bard’s work. Who wouldn’t be impressed with this mission and the presentation? (Filmmaker’s take note:  Judges want to know your film can make a difference.)

Since the judge for the best pitch was giving the DOC NZ award to another person, I had to write my speech carefully for them to understand why I made a different choice. I wrote my speech, printed it out and practiced it.  Going out of the hotel room, I made sure I had my rhinestone glasses so I could read it, but I actually never used my notes or glasses. It seems that once I know what I want to say, when it’s time to speak, someone else takes over. This is exactly what happened on award night.

It was so much fun to see the Jeanette’s excitement at receiving my check. She had the most urgent need for the money. It was a great night ending in a wonderful joyous celebration.  The young Polynesian actors, known as The Browns, went home feeling like the winners.

Early the next day, I flew to Blenheim in the south island of New Zealand then drove to my home, The Wye Cottage, which is in the Wairau Valley in the Marlborough district. This is the house we used for the writing grant.

Once settled in, I remember using my rhinestone glasses to read something and putting them down on the coffee table when I was done.  Awaking from a nap a few hours later, however, they were gone. Being distracted with ideas for improving the house and busy attacking an over grown English garden before my flight home, I just used a spare pair knowing my favorite glasses would show up by the time to leave.

However, when packing my suitcase in a rush to return to Oxnard the next day, I realized too late that I was still wearing my spare glasses and my wonderful rhinestone glasses were nowhere to be found.  As the airport taxi’s horn honked for me in the driveway, I knew it was too late to even ask for Rick’s help

Just before dashing out, Jeannette called to ask if she could spend her award money on a good camera.  I wholeheartedly agreed. It meant she would save a lot of money on rentals and would have the camera handy to capture all the rehearsals, discussions on funding and how the actors would survive without jobs while making this film. I was elated with her decision and asked that she please name the camera Rick and never leave home without it!

Getting home to Oxnard Shores was a joy.  After unpacking, I opened my office desk that contained all my New Zealand home information …. You will never guess what I found. My rhinestone glasses were sitting right in that drawer.

Was this a trick? Did they really bi-locate? Did I imagine using them in New Zealand?  Or was Rick there with me the whole time showing me what I needed to see without my glasses?  Was he there helping me to see that passion, purpose, and emotion can rescue the most mundane story idea?  Or, did I just have really bad jet lag from not having slept for 28 hours?

I would rather think that it was a Hermes-like Rick Dean trick, simply to tell me “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreampt of in your philosophy.”

Winters in Dallas, Texas were cold and icy.  My favorite thing was to curl up with a Dr. Pepper, bag of Fritos and a good book.  My father bought me a set of encyclopedias and I heard weekly how much they cost.  So I started at “A” and had barely read past everything you could want to know about amebic dysentery when I jumped with joy.  I found a Formicarium, an ant hill in captivity.  This meant that I could watch the ants and learn their behavior.

How exciting.  I couldn’t wait.  I marched outside, found the biggest ant hill, dug it up, and put it in Mother’s large turkey pan.  I put it next to my bed and was totally captivated watching them as I ate cheese and crackers. I fell asleep thinking of names for them.

The next morning the dirt was there but the ants were gone!  I picked up the book and read some more.  I found that once you create the formicarium you must surround it with a moat or a body of water to keep the ants in captivity.  Wow!

I started dressing for school in the hopes I could get out of the house quickly before mother came in.  I was dancing around the hardwood floor because I did not want to kill any of my subjects; they were having a marvelous time with the crumbs from my late night snack.  But, I didn’t get out fast enough.  Mother came in to say something and then went into shock.

“Where in the Sam Hill did all these ants come!?” she asked. Then she spied the turkey tray.   “Don’t tell me; please don’t tell me you brought them in the house.  NO!!!”

Yes, mom, it’s a formicarium and I can watch them work and I just forgot to build the moat but I can do that ….I don’t think I ever finished that sentence.

“You mean you dug them up and brought them in?”  Now her hands were on her hips and that was the danger signal to me so I was moving out of that room at warp speed when she shouted after me, “Formicarium, my hind foot.  You better get out of here before I build a moat around you.  Wait till your father hears this story!”she shouted as I ran out the back door.

From that day on, the ant has been a major fascination for me.  Recently, I saw a documentary on research done to discover how ants are able to find their way back to their hill.  When they leave, they look back at the hill and they store a vision of the hill in their minds.  Then, they go all over.

If you have seen ants running around, they just go in all directions.  When they are ready to go home, they call up that vision and keep moving around 360 degrees until they lock in that original outline of the ant hill with the terrain.

That’s one of the most important discoveries for me.  I think that’s what we need.  A vision of where we are going in life. I want to see it, feel it and be part of it as well as having a vision to send up to the universal field.  It’s important to let the universe know what you want so they can change things for you to bring you the people, money or whatever you need to make that vision come true.

People receiving Academy Awards often say this was their vision.  Only recently someone said, “When I was 9 years old I would sit in my bath tub and see myself receiving an Oscar and here I am!”  It’s our vision that takes us to the next level and keeping that vision clear in our mind is how we reach that next “ant hill.”

No, my father did not scold me; he asked what I learned about the ants, outside of course, where mother could not hear him.

The Field is an excellent book by Lynn McTaggart.  She has stories of physics where many have come to the same conclusion.  They believe that our brain is more than a storage mechanism; it’s a sending and receiving mechanism.  Yes, they say that knowledge is stored in “the field” or the zero point field, or as Chopra has said for 30 years, the field of infinite possibilities.

“Some scientists went as far as to suggest that all of our higher cognitive processes result from an interaction with the Zero Point Field.”  This might explain how sometimes ideas come to us as a total concept or a “burst of insight” says Lynn.

So, if this is true then the difference between a normal person and a genius may simply be a better connection to the “field.”  I think that we need to know that this field exists and learn how to tune in.  Just as you have your favorite radio stations and you know the numbers, you need to know the field of infinite possibilities exists and learn how to tune into it for answers, information and guidance.

To me, this is the small voice that speaks to you through the chatter of the mind.  It normally is not a rational thought, and it can be something you may not believe until it happens!  Or you may experience ideas that come so quickly you have to stop the mind and write them down.  Usually they are profound.  You may need to find that quiet place that allows you to still the mind to receive.

Some people connect to this field while driving.  I know I have overshot my freeway exit by miles once I get into the field. It’s as if I am really living a situation and it is actually happening.  Some people go to the quiet of their bedroom in the day time, some connect while walking.  Find a place where you can tune in for answers.  We need to receive more.  We seem to always be sending.

The question is do you want to manifest what you are sending?   Do you want to have trouble finding a good job or paying your rent?  Or do you imagine that you will be given the money you need?

You are much better off when you send positive images to the field so they can open doors and make things happen for you.  I know this may be hard if you are looking at an empty check book, but it can happen.  The secret is to pretend you are living your dream, that the money in the account has 2 more digits or that you are working at your new job and love every minute of it.

Once you send things up, expect doors to open where there were no doors before.  People will tell you to go to a networking meeting, or suggest you call someone, so, please follow every lead.  Your information is now in the field and things will change around you to create your vision.

Besides sending images to manifest, I ask for guidance.  I believe when you send up questions, you get answers.  Normally I will take situations I need to solve to a quiet place.  I outline what the situation is, give several suggestions and ask for better ideas.  Then, I let it go.  Within hours the new option pops into my head.  It is always better than my ideas and I thank them and use it.  Am I talking to the field?  I don’t know.  The results pay off for me so I just keep sending thanks and keep on asking for guidance.

Believe me, it’s worth a try.  Play a game with yourself and imagine that when you “think” you are sending  requests to the field and to get answers, you only have to listen.

Robert Jahn and Brenda Dunne created a Random Event generator (REG) under their Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research program (PEAR).  Their intent was to continue Dr. J.P. Rhine’s work on extra sensory perception using the latest computers to increase the number of studies and manage the outcome through carefully conceived and monitored REG machines.

Jahn and Dunne set their machines to come up with a normal 50/50 average of binary 1’s and 0’s from their computer-driven base.  The rational model held that any deviation from a 50/50 average would be abnormal.  Then they put average people at the machines and told them to visualize and “intend” the machines to achieve more 1’s for 20 minutes then visualize more 0’s for 20 minutes and then nothing for 20 minutes from their computer-driven base.  The researchers were stunned to find a 52/48 average as the result of the trails conducted over 12 years!  This is incredible research proving that our mind is powerful.

And if you think the PEAR research was unusual, another scientist, Renee Peoc’h decided to conduct an experiment to see if this ability to control computer driven machines also applies to other living creatures.  He set up a trial using baby chicks and a robot that he created and programmed to be the chicks’ mother.  It was set to move randomly outside their cage. When the results were tallied, the chicks were actually able to attract the robotic mother toward them.  In other words the robot was not moving randomly, it was moving towards the chicks more often than it was programmed!   Their minds overrode the computer programming.

A similar experiment was created for the opposite result.  Peoc’h put a movable REG with an obnoxiously bright light that aggravated his baby rabbits.  It was programmed to move outside their cage.  The rabbits were successful in overcoming the programming and made it move away from them more than it was programmed to.

Understanding the power of the mind is important for you to know that what we say about visualization and attracting is achievable.  If chicks and rabbits can do it so can we!

If rabbit’s minds can control computers, you can surely attract whatever you want with your mind.

Just know you are a powerful being.

 

While researching the current information on Rupert Sheldrake I found an online test he offers.

On this page: http://www.sheldrake.org/Onlineexp/portal is an audio anticipation test.  They want

You to “feel” what you will hear next.  You are to relax and choose from four choices.

 

It’s really a very simple test however, when I read they want you to intuit what you will hear next my stomach went into knots.  But, I thought I have 8 chances, I will get over this silly fear.  No one knows what the score is anyway and I am very intuitive, I will ace this test.

So, you get to choose which one you will hear next from this list:

President Bush – speech

Skylark Singing

The Beetles – Strawberry Fields

Cat purring

Of course I thought I don’t want to hear Bush and immediately and my mind said, it’s not what you want to hear it’s what’s coming up next!

Ok, Ok.

The cat, I want to hear the cat purr….and the little voice said, no, that’s not it, try the Strawberry Fields.  But I clicked on the cat and of course I heard the Beetles singing.

Ok, I have 7 choices left, what’s next I asked my guides?  There was no answer so I said, it’s the cat purring that’s coming next, I am sure of it.

No, said the voice, that’s not next…..the Beetles are next.

What?  I just heard them, what are the odds it would be two times in a row?

So I punched the Cat purring and you won’t believe it but the little voice was right, I heard the Beetles again.

Ok, I can do this. So what’s next?

Logically, the cat purring I thought.

No, said the voice it’s random, it can be anything…

Ok, then it has to be Bush.

Not waiting for any reply from the little voice, that’s what I chose and the next thing was….. a skylark singing.

I can do this; I know what’s coming next, now it has to be the cat purring.

But instead it was President Bush!

The little voice said, you’re the one that keeps telling people how naturally intuitive they are so show me something.

Just watch me, how many choices are left?  I can do this.

I will hear the cat purring next.

Then I heard the skylark sing again.

Ok, that’s outrageous this must be rigged.

But honestly it has to be the cat purring now it’s the 8^th time; I know it’s the cat!

That’s when the Beatles sang Strawberry Field’s for the third time.

So, I had 8 wrong out of 8.  Great score for an intuitive.

I wonder if I am the only one who over rides the “little voice.”   I find it especially difficult to listen to this voice when it’s not logical and when the answers are so important.  It becomes easy to let my egotistical left brain run the show and totally override the intuitive right brain, which was the purpose of the test, to use your intuition over logic!

Is this what happens to us when we have to pitch a project to someone important?  The times we choke our natural intuitive insights and rely on the left brain then leave thinking we never pitched the heart of the project.

I have read several places that the more you honor the little voice and do what it says, the stronger it gets and the easier life becomes.

If anyone else tries Sheldrake’s audio test, please tell me if you get to hear the cat purring.

 

 

In the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher says and I paraphrase,

“Watch your thoughts as they become your words.

Watch your words as they become your actions.

Watch your actions as they become your character.

Watch your character as it becomes your reality.”

The nature of reality is so important that there are many books and conferences on it.

I think we understand that each of us has our own reality based on our own individual experiences.  Because of this, Bruce Lipton, author of the Biology of Belief, says if you put two people in the same situation they will react differently because of their past.

Some will see opportunities and others won’t have the same “fields” to see opportunities. Since I am concerned with filmmakers funding films, I think he means someone raised around money vs. someone who was not.  Those who never had to worry about money will see more opportunities in the same situation than those who were living on low incomes.

The way out of this Bruce explains is to find those “old tapes” playing in your psyche.  Those tapes from childhood saying, “you’re not good enough” or “you don’t have the money.”  He suggests we put ourselves into a quiet place, visualize our goal and ask what is blocking us.  Then listen to the answers that our mind has stored.  He thinks we should take them one by one and remove them. and he fully explains how to do this in his YouTube films.

For film financing of either a documentary or a feature film, the most important issue is you.  Are you ready to receive; are you worthy of all this money?  It’s looking inside to see what may be blocking you and removing it so money can flow in, especially if your background was not financially comfortable.

My favorite American Indian prayer says, “Give me strength Great Spirit; not that I will use it against my enemies, but that I may overcome my greatest enemy, myself.”

Funding films requires total belief in self and total faith in you and your film.  This statement by Margaret Thatcher is important to all of us.  We need to watch our thoughts and words so we are always supporting ourselves and our film.

Carole Dean is the author of The Art of Film Funding: Alternative Financing Concepts.

My giant fish tank at the entrance to my house started a slow leak so I took on the job of draining the tank knowing that there were no live fish.  I put in a tube and began draining and as I got down to the bottom I found one of those beautiful black-fish-that-eat-the-algae alive and well!

How did he live in the cold water?  I had no heater for a week and he lived through that and I never saw him.  Ok, I ran to the kitchen and found a large 3 gallon rice container and put him in there.  This was Saturday afternoon.

Sunday at 10am when Petco opened, I was there with fish-in-hand asking to rent a room for him.  You must have some empty tank or big fish bowl and I will pay you to watch over him. The manager said, “Just fix your tank; he can live for 7 days in this container.”    Ok, 7 days is what it took to create the world. Surely, this was enough time.

Since I had him in the car, I started talking to him to allay his fears and mine too because I am not a “fix it” person.  Each time I try to fix something I seem to cause more problems.

I called him Buddy. Day two the tank was dry enough to begin scrapping the mineral sediments and the old sealant off the fish tank.  He was swimming nearby and I talked to him about all kinds of things.  Like, how hard it is to ask people to read my 360 page second edition of the Art of Film Funding and give me a blurb.  Who has time to do that?  But, I need to get statements good enough to put on a book cover and this is how it is done.  He seemed to understand all this and kept moving to let me know he was still alive or to agree, I am not sure which.

Day three I applied the silicone to the sides with my nervous fingers.  I never saw the applicator top and the tank looked like someone with palsy had repaired it but all areas were amply covered.  It would take 24 hours to dry.  I filled the time with discussions with Buddy about the confidence I had when I wrote the book that now seems to have vanished. I explained how important it is to stay confident because marketing is the only way to get your information to your audience.  He kept moving around the sides and seemed to be listening.  Well, he was a captive audience, but there was more going on here. I just don’t know how to explain it.

Day four, the fish tank dried.  The stress was on.  Would it hold 50 gallons and not leak?  Suddenly, when Brianne carried the fish tank downstairs, I realized that Buddy would not be nearby and I began to miss him.  His fortitude gave me the confidence I needed to fix the tank and make a lot of “asks” from people in the industry for book comments.  Somehow, these things are related.

Day five and good news; the fish tank is successfully repaired.  Buddy is in his clean home and most importantly, I now realize that he is not a black-fish-that-eats-the-algae, he is a courageous plecostomus, a living, feeling creature and my friend, Buddy.

 

Though free to think and to act – we are held together like the stars – in firmament with ties inseparable – these ties cannot be seen but we can feel them – each of us is only part of a whole – Nikola Tesla

What if Tesla was right and all the area around us that stretches to the stars is full of energy.  He called it “the ethers or the wheelwork of nature.”  I believe you can see these ethers when you see the northern lights, its energy we see when the light is just right.  If these ethers are everywhere and they are energy, perhaps they carry our thoughts.  Something surely does because each of us has experienced some kind of phenomena in our lives that is not explainable.

How many times have you “thought about someone” and quickly had contact with them?  It happens all the time.  In Bali they say, “I called you on-the-wind.”  They think of a person and that person connects with them.  How do we explain the communication of nomadic people like Africans on the Serengeti or Aboriginals when they know their people have food waiting for them?  They know where to go.  I find this fascinating and so does biologist, Rupert Sheldrake.

Sheldrake is now acclaimed as a brilliant thinker.  Part of his work is about people who know when they are being stared at.  His book, The Sense of Being Stared At, is about the “intricacies of the mind and discovers that our perceptive abilities are stronger than many of us could have imagined.”

Sheldrake argues reasonably in this book that our abilities of telepathy and premonitions are real.

If so, then can we enhance this ability to communicate with each other?  Can we really send out invitations on-the-wind and hear from people across the globe?  If we are all connected then think of how important it is to treat each other as we want to be treated.  It becomes important to believe in each other and to be more concerned with our fellow man.  What if and this is a big what if, we really came into the world to nurture and support our fellow man and we got so caught up in cars and houses that we forgot?

Sheldrake believes that morphic fields are the clockwork of nature and I believe that the ethers carry information and knowledge and Sheldrake thinks that morphic fields carry information for nature, what if it is all the same?  What if that “morphic field” of Sheldrake’s is the “wheelwork of nature” of Tesla?

Ok, let’s come back to planet earth, where we just want to finance our films.  So, what if we send our intentions out on-the-wind and contact that billionaire before he gets our package.  We could explain why we are making this film and assure him of our ability to deliver an excellent product under budget.

We could talk from the privacy of our bedroom to that woman reading our grant and tell her the urgency behind our application and let her see our pure heart and understand our need to record this time in history.   Stranger things have happened; I think it’s worth a try.