Coming soon to a Film Fest near you?

Okay, it seems like Breaking Eggs may not be the first short script of mine to roll before a camera after all. It’s still going to happen, as far as I know, but something else has happened. Unlike Eggs which is intended for a student film, The Clean Up Crew is another matter. This one, like Eggs, was found on the Inktip short script listing. The “pay” is still about the same (peanuts, almonds, copy of film and a written by credit) but…

Hello Darren,

I really enjoyed reading The Cleanup Crew. I loved the fact that it was a new take on a ghost story. What are you looking for in the matter of having this made? Although I don’t have money to offer up for short scripts; what I can offer is getting the project up on to IMDB, and once it would be shot, sending it to various film festivals around the country. I’m searching for a couple of scripts that I will be producing and having them either directed by me or one of my filmmaking partners. Anyway, let me know your thoughts. I love the script and I hope we can come to some type of arrangement to get it made this coming year.

-Zachary
(November 9th, 2010)

After a response from me which theses two words-

======HELL YES======

pretty much sums up my response, I heard back from Zachary soon after, and he already has reached out to an FX makeup artist and an actress he knows. The expected shoot date is between December 2010 and February, depending on availability of cast and film crew. The IMDB page will go up sometime during or just after post. IMDB is “cracking down” on various “announced projects” simply because many of the announced films (feature and short) fizzle out but remain on the site for extended periods of time.

This is just good news all around. I have generally kept the news low profile, because I also don’t want to jump the gun too much. I also want it as a bit of a surprise for some of my relatives, spring it on them next week during Turkey Day, or perhaps Christmas. (Probably the former; someone’s going to blab, I’m sure of it)

Anyway, for those curious, The Clean Up Crew deals with a haunted hotel, with one unoccupied room in particular. It’s nothing that jumps out and goes boo; but rather a paranormal mess of blood and ectoplasm left behind in the bathroom. A ghost named Sam, who was a homicide detective from the 1940s, cannot go outside of the bathroom. The after hours cleaning crew, Gus and Rick,having to go to the same room on a regular basis, is thought to be slacking off. Cassie tags along to supervise. However, Cassie’s no-nonsense approach ignores the rules that the two men are familiar with, as only one person can enter the bathroom to clean it. A disregard or these rules results in a bigger mess to clean the following night, Cassie is left to clean up the blood all over the bathroom. Rick and Gus can only observe, play cards and watch late night TV. Sam helps by talking Cassie through it- although Sam is mildly sexist in personality.