12 Westerns: Filmmaker Diary – April 2019

These are diary entries, tracking my progress and process making the 12 Westerns in 12 Months project. Every now and then I will be publishing these daily notes that were taken on my phone. They have not been edited at all.

To learn more about my 12 Westerns project, visit our Facebook page and to donate to this project, please visit our GoFundMe campaign here.

APRIL 2, 2019

Once again, someone contacted me who has promised “funded projects” before, promising them again. The first time I told him to email me details. He said he would and it never came. This second time I said again, let’s get the details going. He said he was writing the email as we spoke. That was days ago and it still has not come.

A good way to separate these characters from the serious ones is that they always want to talk about more projects than one. They won’t zero in. Every flake I’ve encountered dreams big and delivers nothing.

APRIL 4, 2019

Yesterday I contacted the Town of Gabriella, another western movie set in New Mexico.

I spoke this morning with Miles about the Jesse James idea. He seemed enthused about working together after the Gun showing last night and I figured it was worth mentioning. I’m glad I did! He really got excited about the concept and thus excited me once again to explore it.

APRIL 6, 2019

I pushed through to finish the Natchez Trace treatment today. I feel like a runner after the race.

These guys want me to come to Georgia to discuss funding for the Westerns. We’ll see what happens.

APRIL 7, 2019

In this film Ride Out for Revenge, there is a great long tracking shot as two Natives walk through town. While the movie played I became distracted and then suddenly realized the tracking shot kept going and going and going, until it comes to a violent end. What a great ballsy move for a Western of this era! So many wonderful moments can be discovered in these little known Westerns, the “B movies”.

APRIL 8, 2019

Today I learned that the Guinness world records thing is pretty much a big money scheme. You have to pay to even submit an application. If they reject it, you don’t get your money back. The fee for a business, which I’d be considered, is 1000 dollars to submit. What a crock of shit.

I spoke with a female producer today who has read one of the Westerns to potentially come on board. She read it three times and provided great notes. She’s right about a lot of its weaknesses but she also likes it enough to come on board. I’m trying not to get my hopes up but she seems like a good person to work with.

Five more pages of Texas Red written today.

APRIL 9, 2019

I contacted Paul today about investing.

I heard back from Creek which was exciting.

Another five pages added for Texas Red.

Ride Out for Revenge is surprisingly modern. A great unknown western.

APRIL 10, 2019

I contacted Michael Biehn.

APRIL 11, 2019

Yesterday I almost wrote five more pages of Texas Red. Close. The script is getting more scattered as I go but I have to reach the end so that the process can continue.

Both Maxwell and Shannon Williams are interested in the table read. That excites me.

This Georgia trip does not yet. It worries me. I’m carving out 16 hours of drive time and who knows how much more while being there. I hope these guys are sincere and serious. Time will tell. If they’re not, this will probably be the last time I will consider something like this and from then on rely completely on myself.

APRIL 12, 2019

I’m sitting in my car about to fall asleep in a parking lot in Meridian. Bandit is in the back. I’d drive more but why push it. I have a six.5 hour trip tomorrow.

The meeting with the barrel racing women and men went well tonight. I like a lot of them already and felt the same excitement here that I did in Brookhaven when I first started there and Monticello when I came with Blood Country.

APRIL 15, 2019

I contacted Dan about investor connections.

I tried to contact Blum with no luck.

The meeting from this weekend has left me hopeful. It would be a great relief to not have to find funding for five of these, regardless of losing some control. I find myself thinking, foolishly, of which five already.

APRIL 16, 2019

I left messages at the history channel and Icon.

Looked up the grants Kristen sent me. It will be worth submitting especially if I can get some help.

I finished the Texas Red script. Now I’m tired.

APRIL 17, 2019

I spoke with Cedric this morning. The prospect of casting him in the Texas Red project or even have him as Red makes me more excited than I’ve been in a long time.

I received an email back from Thomas Jane asking how I was going to pull this off and what the budgets were. I doubt I’ll hear again but who knows.

I also emailed Cassian Elwes.

A lunch with Dorsey added to my enthusiasm. I was up front with him about needing new connections to funding. Hopefully something will present itself in the near future.

APRIL 21, 2019

From Law of the Border, a Turkish Western: “A real man conquers himself.”

Scouting with Josh along the Natchez Trace was equal parts good and frustrating because who knows if any of it will end up in the movie because of permissions.

APRIL 24, 2019

From GREY OWL:

“Why get married if you know you’re going to leave?” She asks.

“Why get married if you know you’re going to stay…” he says.

I could pull my hair out or punch a couple people in the goddamn face for not knowing how to listen the last couple days. It’s an epidemic, bad listening. I hate it. Believe it might be the number one human issue that prevents us from accomplishing more, from solving our troubles on a small and large scale. I may retire movies and commit my life to listening and trying to help others listen.

APRIL 25, 2019

Today I contacted the producer of Ballad of Gregorio Cortez.

I’ve set a goal to finish the Heart of the Gun treatment by next Thursday.

Wrestling with what to do about Cedric. I know I want to work with him no matter what.

APRIL 27, 2019

“You know, sometimes I think it’s giving the good lord the worst of it to say he invented people.” From Jubal, a Western I’m watching tonight – though I don’t believe in the “good lord” or that he invented anything, that statement certainly rings true right now.

APRIL 28, 2019

It looks like a couple more weeks before I hear anything either way from my Georgia funding connections.

I am excited for the table read tomorrow night since it is the most “real” thing to happen for the Westerns yet.

APRIL 30, 2019

The best part of last night’s reading was when I concluded the event, telling the actors they could all go but they didn’t! Normally they would flee the scene but in this case, they stayed and discussed the film at length… a good sign I think.

-Travis Mills