New Chapters 11/07/23
Wow it's been a busy couple of months. The Ace of Hearts' first season is fully released! I spent two and half months working for Poster Invasion all around the country. But now the big question is... what happens now?
First off if you want to check out the Ace of Hearts Podcast you can see it right here on any Podcast platform. I'm very proud of the project, however iHeartMedia decided not to renew it for a second season based off of the download numbers. So after a little bit of thought, I've decided to continue the podcast on the Spreaker App. We're still in talks of when the show will continue but I'll be sure to let everyone know when we do start again. But for now feel free to subscribe/follow the podcast on any platform you like!
Second off, I've been trying to figure out the next step in the film career. Since I got back from my trip I've been doing almost nothing but applying for new jobs. However it's been tough, nearly 100 applications and no follow ups or interviews. I know the job market is rough, but still it feels like I'm not going forward.
So I decided to go back to school.
I never finished college, and I can't help but wonder if that's what's keeping me from moving forward. I've enrolled with the College of the Canyons for a Film Associates, and I start classes in January. But the perk of going back to school I hope to utilize, is internships. Experience is far more valuable and if I can meet as many people as possible while doing internships, I think after my schooling is finished I'll be in a great position for a career moving job.
In the meantime, I'm going to find as many networking possibilities as possible: I'm signed up with an extra's casting service to get more opportunities to network; I'm attempting to do more brand ambassador work to do the same thing; and I'm looking for parties and other online experiences to meet more people to help further my career.
For stress relief I'm doing more work on the house! Gardening, drywall repair, and the like. As well as writing for my own projects!
I think I'll do another short film once I start to find my groove!
That's all for now, I feel like I'm hitting a slope and it's gonna be tough, but I hope I'm better and stronger on the other side!
By the way if you know anyone who's looking for some help with any projects: Directing, Editing, etc. Let me know! Admittedly I need to be paid, but I can do it!
That's all for now! You're a doll for reading this and keeping in my loop of support!
See you soon!
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
Little Changes 7/5/23
So, as you may have noticed, my website got a makeover! It's still in need of some polishing but it was grossly outdated and the website maker platform I was using was getting a little pricy.
I brought over the blogs from the other website as sort of a time capsule from an early time. And I've now better compartmentalized all the different stuff I'm doing. I'll update each box over time as things change and happen.
So anyways back to what's been happening in the last two months.
Well for starters I turned 30! Crazy right? Although the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I'm at a good stepping stone in my career through the podcast deal with iHeart, and I've been able to circulate a few different forms of income. I think I'm ready for my 30s and I hope it keeps progressing in the way the past few years have gone.
I've updated my IMDb account so now it's updated with every project I've produced in the past three years.
I was able to secure a job making a video for Poster Invasion, a company I have had the pleasure of working with in the past. You can check out the video on their website right here.
Otherwise I've been working on my Podcast which is set to release next month!!! The contract is signed so it's happening for real! I'll start to post more about the podcast soon!
Speaking of the podcast, most of the episodes are done with editing with just some tweaking to be done.
I'm so excited to share the show I've made with everyone! Start looking for posts about it on social media!
I did have one minor hiccup in the past two months. I unfortunately didn't place in the Palm Springs Women in Film & Television & Stage 32 Short Script Competition. I'm a little bummed about it, because I felt so confident in my shorts that I submitted. However, I'm picking myself up and pressing on.
That's all for now! You're a doll for reading this and keeping in my loop of support!
See you soon!
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
Sometimes life gets in the way 5/8/23
Well, some months are better than others.
The beginning of the month started out strong. I wrote/fixed up a few scripts for the Palm Springs Women in Film & Television & Stage 32 Short Script Competition. Wordy title, but a super cool competition that I wanted to submit some work for.
However, very early into the month my normal retail job suddenly cut my hours. Sort of a hiccup since, well, I like to eat and stuff. I had to spend a lot of this past month looking for some quick jobs. It's always frustrating when things you think are consistent pull the rug from under you.
So for the time being I'm looking for some work. Ideally video related: producing, editing, or on set filming. If you're looking for some help hit me up!
Writing
I now have short scripts for three ideas I'd like to develop. If you're interested in reading them you can find them here:
I'd appreciate all the feedback!
Scare Actors Status
I'm super happy to see all the positive feedback on the Scare Actors clips! Thanks to everyone who's been watching them!
I'm still submitting Scare Actors to film festivals. I haven't heard anything yet but I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I hear anything!
Ace of Hearts Podcast
Things are really chugging along! I found a great entertainment lawyer and he's helped me modify the contract a bit. And at the very least help me understand my contract more.
Also I have now recorded every episode for the first season of Ace of Hearts! While there is plenty of editing to do, I'm very proud of what I have. No matter what happens to the show I'm excited to share what I have.
I'm planning on focusing on editing for the remainder of the month, and signing the contract!
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Also feel free to check out Determinal Velocity's (My Production Company) Social Media Links (Admittedly there's a lot of bleed over, but hey give a like when you can!)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScareActorsShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scareactorsshow/
Website: https://determinalvelocity.com/
Thank you for the support!
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
Is it time for a change? 4/3/23
So, at the top of every month I make a few goals. Sometimes it's a goal I made at the top of the year, sometimes it's a goal that carried over from the previous month, and sometimes it's a new thing that popped up. Of course normal day to day life still has to happen, but I try my best to go for these goals I set. However, this month I set a handful of goals... and didn't meet any of them. But looking through my planner I crossed out a ton of tasks on the daily. So what happened?
Now of course somethings came up. I got a few book trailers requested (which I'll share at the bottom) and I did need to spend several days reviewing audio for A Firm Place to Stand's audiobook. However, those didn't consume my whole month.
After a bit of time, I thought about why I wasn't getting some of these goals done. It's hard to admit, but I think I'm trying to do too much.
Hey, I love being busy. But right now I've been trying to juggle: launching a podcast, sharing my short film on the film festival circuit, writing my next film project, and trying to maintain/grow a voiceover career. Not to mention single handedly maintaining a house, working retail, taking care of business paperwork for taxes, searching/applying for a better job, and ya know just regular adulting things.
And I'm not trying to complain about doing these things. For the most part I love what I do. However I started to beat myself up for not progressing in any of these fields at the rate that I wanted to.
In the middle of the month, I decided to reach out to some professionals in the fields that I wanted to work. Which by the way I highly recommend if you're hitting a wall and wondering what you're doing wrong.
What they said boiled down to one note: "Focus."
It was the kick in the butt I needed to hear. I was trying to juggle too many big things at once. And while I had fun doing them, I wasn't building a career. So, I had to think about what I wanted as my priority.
My first thought was, "well the Podcast is paying me." So at the very least I'm focusing on the podcast. Who knows if it will be extended, but for now I'm going to release the first season of Ace of Hearts this year.
But as a long term career move... I had to think about what would be bring me the best chance of succeeding and/or what would bring me the most amount of joy.
Voice Acting or Filmmaking.
And after a lot of thinking and talking to friends/family, I decided that it was time to put my pursuit of Voice Acting away for now. I'm going to focus on writing/filmmaking for the foreseeable future.
I want to say first off, this was a tough pill to swallow. I've been working on my voice acting since 2014 when I first took classes at Edge Studio.
However, I've grown a lot. I've learned a lot. And the world of Voiceover has also changed a lot. I don't look at it quite the same way I used to back in 2014. So, I think it's for the best to put it away until a time I decide to pursuit it again. And I might, I have no idea what the future will hold.
I think the decision is for the best. I'm hungry for writing and filmmaking, to make even better projects. Heck for the past two years they've been what I talked about the most in these blog posts, which was also a pretty big indicator that this was what I really wanted.
As I share this news to everyone, I feel a little sad that I'm not going to be working on voice acting. But I'm excited to dive into the next thing in my adventure. Which is...
Writing
After talking with a lot of other writers and filmmakers I decided to work on a couple of ideas to have "Pitch" ready. That way when I pitch, I have other ideas at the ready, but not necessarily full scripts. Just the basics enough to tell the hook, the plot points, the themes, the characters, etc.. So, I'm trying to have four ideas at the ready: Scare Actors, Celebrity Status, Killer, and The Sacred Witch. These are just four stories I have pretty well formed in my mind. And I'm planning filming a proof of concept of one of these later this year.
Scare Actors Status
I'm going to be releasing Scare Actors as clips for Instagram, Youtube Shorts, and TikTok. I've been hard at work editing them to format the new frame, and I'll be releasing small clips about 30 seconds to a minute on all the above platforms staring later this month.
I'm still submitting Scare Actors to film festivals. I haven't heard anything yet but I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I hear anything!
Ace of Hearts Podcast
We're still in production for Ace of Hearts, my entertainment lawyer ghosted me so now I'm looking for a new one.
I had a few people show interest in being guests but for different reasons they had to pull out. So, I hit the casting pages. I'm just looking for one more guest with experience of international dating.
Month of March brought:
I had the pleasure of making two book trailers for two talented authors
My mom! Such a supportive mom, and a talented author. I was able to make this trailer to help her promote The Veil.
Dani Pettrey, a very talented and critically acclaimed author, asked me for some help to promote her book The Shifting Current.
I also decided to make a Voice Over website just to have it out there. This website you're currently looking at is going to get a serious makeover pretty soon. If anyone reaches out to me to record for them, I'm more than happy to help. I'm just not going to be searching for jobs and opportunities in VO for the foreseeable future.
Thanks for reading!
Completing A... Chapter 3/1/23
Wooo! So as I'm typing this blog post, hours ago I finished A Firm Place to Stand the Audiobook. And holy cow, I'm riding a crazy little high right now. It's embarrassing in retrospect, but after two years the audiobook is done. It feels good, real good. I learned a lot in the process, and overall I'm proud of myself for finishing.
Now while I know I can finish an audiobook, believe it or not taking two years to do one audiobook is not industry standard. And I don't think I'll be pursuing any more audiobooks at this moment. Perhaps if I get to a point where I can hire an editor, I would re-consider. But on the bright side now I know that I don't want to be an audiobook voice actor/editor. And, that's okay. I'm glad I tried it, and I hope my author is happy with the end product. Now I can focus more of what I do really want.
I recently watched this video series all about focusing yourself to be become successful (to clarify I define success as getting paid doing what you love.) Now when I first got into voice acting, I didn't know exactly what the voiceover industry had, and I wanted to be available for everything voiceover related. But I've spent some more time in the voiceover world, now I know what I want to be more focused in. Just to be clear, I'd still take a good paying audiobook job if I was offered one, but my time is better spent looking for voiceover projects that I want to do.
Ace of Hearts Podcast
We're still in production for Ace of Hearts, I'm talking with an Entertainment Lawyer for the contract I have with iHeartMedia and Seneca Women, this is just common practice. I'm not worried about anything.
However I do need two more guests to close the season. I'm looking for someone with an obsessive hobby that affects the people they date or their dating life in general. And I'm also looking for a fellow asexual for my season finale.
I'm hoping to have all the episodes ready by the end of the month! But we'll see, it's all going to depend on finding my last two guests.
Scare Actors Status
I'm still submitting Scare Actors to film festivals. I haven't heard anything yet but I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I hear anything!
Voice Acting
No new jobs yet. But I'm submitting to a few auditions every week. And I'm even applying to agents! I'll let you know if anything changes, otherwise I'll just keep trying. Hey, sometimes that's all you can do, try.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Also feel free to check out Determinal Velocity's (My Production Company) Social Media Links We're posting a lot of Behind the Scenes pictures of Scare Actors at the moment! (Admittedly there's a lot of bleed over, but hey give a like when you can!)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScareActorsShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scareactorsshow/
Website: https://determinalvelocity.com/
Thank you for the support!
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
Dealing with Fatigue 2/13/23
So, I don't know about you. But the beginning of my year wasn't the kick off I was expecting. Just like a new years resolution, I was strong for like two weeks. But the smallest hitch, and I was stumbling. I thought I would pick myself right back up, but it took me a couple of weeks to get back into my groove.
I had the idea in my head that I would be getting up and editing the audiobook and researching for my podcast all day/everyday. Now to be fair I did catch COVID in the middle of January, but I'd been sick before and persevered. But COVID really kicked me in the butt energy wise. I was drinking several cups of coffee, napping in the middle of the day (almost everyday), and generally space brained. But I had so much work to do!
So I wanted to talk about what I tried to get back into the grind.
Setting Timers
I thought maybe my brain could focus for short periods. Right? Using brain power for hours at a time can be real draining. But how about small increments? Timers were really helpful for me to push myself and work a little hard and build up my perseverance in the past. But let's face it, tired brain don't care about timers. Most days I tried, but found myself unfocused and staring longingly at the bed.
Taking Walks
Getting fresh air can wake you up and let your mind wander for a little bit, hopefully getting it all out of the way. I realized I should be taking more walks. And they felt great. All the while I talked to myself, and let myself think if there were deeper issues that were causing me to be tired and unfocused. This was a great way to let my mind wander productively, and I even thought about some new ideas that I was excited to explore. Unfortunately, I needed to get in grind mode, not creative mode.
Working on Something Else
So clearly something wasn't working. And I think I came to a conclusion that my mind was fried working on the same thing for months. And I felt I couldn't afford to take a long break. I've found that if you start slipping from your routine, it's so easy to stay off of it. So I decided to spend a week on my resume and applying for jobs. These were things I wanted to start working on after the audiobook was done. So I just rearranged my timeline a little bit. I gave myself a little break from one project, but I didn't stop working. Now I know not everyone is able to do this if you have a hard deadline. But if you have a few months until something is due, don't stop working, juggle to something else for a short time.
But I would say the number one thing to do is...
Keep Trying
It's so hard when you're tired to keep going. But I think the best way to get out of sleep brain is keep trying to get back into your productive streak. Don't beat yourself up if for a few days your eyes are so heavy and you have to take a nap. Just try again the next day. If your phone is a distraction (lordly knows it is for me) put it somewhere far from you so it's not a quick grab arm reach temptation.
It took almost a month but I'm back in my grind mode and I'm trying to make up for lost time.
Audiobook Progress
I'm only five chapters away from being finished with the A Firm Place to Stand Audiobook (less than 50 pages! And I'm now scheduling to have it finished by the end of February.
Ace of Hearts Podcast
Also... I have a release date for Ace of Hearts! Our release date is going to be mid August 2023. You'll hear much more about it later.
Scare Actors Status
I've started submitting Scare Actors to film festivals. I haven't heard anything yet (and probably won't for a few months) but I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as I hear anything!
Voice Acting
No new jobs yet. But now that I'm feeling more energetic I'm submitting to a few auditions every week. And I'm even applying to agents! I'll let you know if anything changes, otherwise I'll just keep trying. Hey, sometimes that's all you can do, try.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Also feel free to check out Determinal Velocity's (My Production Company) Social Media Links We're posting a lot of Behind the Scenes pictures of Scare Actors at the moment! (Admittedly there's a lot of bleed over, but hey give a like when you can!)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScareActorsShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scareactorsshow/
Website: https://determinalvelocity.com/
Thank you for the support!
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
Here's to a New Year 12/31/22
I'm currently writing this on New Year's Eve of 2022. It's raining outside, and I wearing a Super Meat Boy shirt that I got for Christmas.
I'll be honest, I'm tired. I'm working a lot, both for money and on my arts. And sometimes I can be a little burnt out working on parts of projects that I'm not entirely in love with. Recently I've felt a little restless spending a lot of time audio editing. However that's the reality of working in the creative world, it's not all pursuing your dreams, it's a lot of hard work. And the work is not always fun.
But it's been a long year, and I wanted to take a short time, to reflect on all the accomplishments for the past year, and what my goals are for next year. Because I think that's what's going to help me for the next year for when the work get's a little less fun.
Accomplishments
January: Was a Finalist for the Now Voice This Voiceover Competition.
February: Bought a House Baby!
March: Started a Film Business!
April: Won the Seneca Women Podcast Competition!
May: Raised about $2,000 for Filming
May - July: Filmed the Scare Actors Short Film
October: Was a Judge for the Pembroke Taparelli Arts & Film Festival
And all the while
Wrote the Scare Actors Script
Auditioned and was cast in multiple VO projects (including my first animation movie)
Started learning and executing the art of pitching
Fixed up parts of my house
Made my Cinematography Reel
Made some great friends
Attended the 2022 Poster Invasion Poster Tour and made a nice paycheck from it
Made a website for my company
Learned about running a business
Adopted a beautiful little kitten (Her name is Pumpernickel)
Produced book trailers for a few authors
And ya know, working regular jobs
And looking back, that's a great year, a lot of goals were made and met, maybe not everything that I hoped, but some new stuff that I didn't plan on was completed too!
So looking for this next year, I wanted to share my plan layouy
January: Finish the work for my Podcast and Audiobook (Audition when I can)
February: Update my website, and resumes, I'm ready for a job in the creative world and potentially an agent
March: Start writing pitches for a handful of creative projects (I won't write a full script, just get the basics down for a few ideas)
April: Start writing a script to film later in the year.
May - July: Start Pre-Production, Crowdfunding etc. for my film
August - September: Poster Tour!
October - December: Film (I don't know what I'm filming yet, but I for sure want to make another project)
I don't know how truthfully I'll follow this plan, because who know what'll happen right? But I figure if you start with a plan, that's the best way to have something to work towards.
Alright, let's do this! Better myself, Better my career, and overall just enjoy life!
By the way Project Eden's Garden came out not too long ago, feel free to check it out! I play the incredible Ingrid!
And that's about it! Let's all remember to take a little break, spend a little time with loved ones!
Looking Towards the Next Year 12/6/22
Wow, what a great response to Scare Actors. Almost 400 views in about three weeks! Thank you to everyone who's seen the short film and supported the project through the year!
I'll mention what I've done this past month. But I'm also looking forward, to what needs to get wrapped up before 2023.
What's Going to Happen to the Scare Actors: short film?
It feels great that Scare Actors is out for the world to see, I was nervous at first, but I've had a lot of positive feedback.
So now what?
Well now the biggest job for the short film, is getting it out there. I made an ImDB page for Scare Actors, with the help of Dustin Nguyen for some of the pictures. You check it out here. And feel free to leave a review or star rating!
There's a few more things I need to do:
I'll put it into FilmFreeway, and start entering it into Film Festivals.
Edit a trailer out of the short film.
Make a pitch deck for Scare Actors
The big goal is to get Scare Actors picked up as a show on a streaming or cable network. Now I'm learning all the time, about the business and my craft. And I see now that this could take a very long time. However, I'll continue to work hard and improve myself and the story for as long as it takes.
Voice Acting Updates!
This was actually a great month for voice acting. I finally was able to get back in the swing of things, and able to do about a dozen auditions. It felt great to jump back in. And it felt even more amazing that I was cast in three more projects! I'll be sure to share these projects as soon as they're out! But needless to say, I'm hungry for more!
I've starting reaching back out to VO agents, I had one before, but we weren't a great fit. But I figure enough time has passed and I've grown as a VO performer. So we'll see if anyone reaches back.
Also Project Eden's Garden's Prologue is coming soon! From what I've been told, later this month!
So What Now?
I'm trying to take a small break for a good year's work, but honestly I have a hard time sitting still for too long.
So I'm trying to take a little time to relax, but admittedly I'm still spending a lot of time on the Podcast: Ace of Hearts, a dating podcast from every perspective. I've recorded interviews for half the season already. I'm just looking for a few more people, and then the hours of editing to put them all together!
Also I'm determined to finish the Audiobook for A Firm Place to Stand. It may take another month or two. But I'm not taking anymore big projects on until the Audiobook is done.
And that's about it! Let's all remember to take a little break, spend a little time with loved ones, and finish strong to have a kickass 2023!
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Also feel free to check out Determinal Velocity's (My Production Company) Social Media Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScareActorsShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scareactorsshow/
Website: https://determinalvelocity.com/
Keep on Kicking Ass!
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
Scare Actors Online Premiere! 11/9/22
The time has come! It has been a year in the making, but we are finally ready to show off Scare Actors!
We're having an online premiere on November 16th, 2022.
And if you'd like to join the watch party we'll be gathering together November 16th at 6pm on a google meet.
It's been a crazy year. It's nuts to me that around this time last year I had started to work on the script for Scare Actors. Would you believe the script that we filmed was version 11? I had such an incredible time pressuring myself to write with a deadline, a skill that I hope will follow me to future endeavors.
I casted, designed costumes/props/sets, acquired loans, payed a staff, started a business, ran a crowdfunding campaign, coordinated shoot dates, and did so many little things to make this short film possible.
A lot of the stuff I didn't know I was going to do when I started filming. But I learned. And that was the whole point of this past year, was to learn.
Now I can step back and see the project in it's full state. And if I'm honest with myself, it's not perfect, but that's okay. Just like Taika Waititi said “90% of all movies are terrible, and if you take that ratio into account, it allows you to relax and you don’t have to worry about making something good all the time.”
However I'm still really proud of it. It definitely turned out better that I thought it was going to be.
Now of course the next chapter is sharing it everywhere I can, I'll start showing it off to film festivals, reaching out to show runners and producers, and submitting it to online channels that may want to share it themselves. But it does feel like a big chapter is done. So what's next?
Honestly I'm gonna do a lot of writing and start preparing for what the next big project is going to be. I have a couple of ideas that I want to flesh out a little bit more before I start planning on filming again. But I am planning on filming another project in the fall of next year!
But for now...
Podcast!
I'm going to start focusing on the podcast for the next two months. If it comes together, this could be a very cool job. But only time will tell.
I'm planning on starting to record in the next few weeks, now the short film is just about closed.
How's the Audiobook Coming?
It's coming along, I'm now editing a little bit everyday. I am very determined to finish the audiobook by the end of the year.
Voice Acting Update!
I've started auditioning again! Which feels great! I just got to get back in the groove and I'm sure I'll start landing jobs again soon.
Speaking of...
I can finally share that I'm going to be playing Lusi in the Sirenetta movie! It'll probably be at least two years until it comes out.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Also feel free to check out Determinal Velocity's (My Production Company) Social Media Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScareActorsShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scareactorsshow/
Website: https://determinalvelocity.com/
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
Scare Actors is Almost Finished! 10/10/22
O M Goodness! We are so close to being done with Post-Production for Scare Actors! It's been a busy month of meetings in order to have Scare Actors finished before Halloween. Thankfully I have an incredible editing team. You'll all see the short soon enough!
PILOT PRODUCTION
This has been a very cool month for Scare Actors. As previously stated we are wrapping up post-production. For the first few weeks myself, our director, and our editor would have meetings about each act once our editor had put it together. We would give notes and then wait about a week for changes. It took about four meetings to have the short's video editing completed. Then during the last week of September we shifted to audio editing. At this time our audio editor has all the music, and dialogue, he's finding sound effects and cleaning up the audio. The plan is to have all the audio completed by next week, and then our video editor will put it all together with some last touch ups.
And then our short will be completed. Then comes the next fun part, sharing the project!
Which brings me to my next big announcement. We're going to have a pre-premiere in Los Angeles! Admittedly this was sort of a happy accident, a friend of mine just happen to bring up my short to a supervisor in the Parks and Rec department. They were going to host a fall festival and needed something to show in a small tent during the festivities. So boom! Sort of a happy accident!
If you can, come to:
Ladera Park Fall Festival in the Yvonne Burke Senior Center
6027 Ladera Park Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90056
We’ll have multiple showings on October 28th 2022, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
But if you aren't able to make that one, we're going to host an online premiere very shortly afterwards! So keep an eye out for that!
Podcast!
For the past month I've been talking to people at iHeartMedia about the podcast: contract details mostly. But in the mean time I have been working on some ground work. I've been working on intros, outros, and drafting the structure of the podcast.
But I have been working with a graphic designer to make the logo for the podcast. I think it turned out great!
So, I just got back from my sales trip literally a few days ago. Obviously, I am still taking a little time to get organized, and back into the swing of things. But once my recording booth is set back up (had to take it down for filming) I'm going to start interviewing right away.
How's the Audiobook Coming?
It's coming along, I'm now editing a little bit everyday. I am very determined to finish the audiobook by the end of the year.
Voice Acting Update!
Once I have my vocal booth back up, I am going to be back on the market for voice over projects! I've already been reached out to for a book trailer, and an advertisement for an app.
All the Behind the Scenes Work 9/4/22
I can't say there's much to report this blog. And that's okay, some months are going to be far more productive than others. I've been traveling doing my Sales Job at Poster Invasion, but in my spare time here's what I've been up to.
PILOT PRODUCTION
The first week I spent all my free time making sure that all my editors had all the footage and audio that was recorded. I researched a little for some stock footage options. I updated my script after the changes that were made during filming. And then I just sat back and let me editors get to work. We're meeting up everyone once in awhile, and I believe we're still planning on having the finished short by October! Expect all sorts of behind the scenes photos and videos until then!
Otherwise I'm starting to look at ways to share the short when it's done. I've reached out to a producer to talk about the script, (this was on Stage 32,) and now I'm talking to people on LinkedIn and Instagram about productions and film festivals. I can honestly say I don't know what's going to happen to our little short after October. But I'm trying all sorts of different angles.
Also, now that the short is wrapping up, I'm realizing I need to pull together all of my costs and budget to prepare for taxes in January. After talking to another small business owner, I've got an idea on how to display all the expenses.
Podcast!
So, this is for real. I've had a few more meetings with the people that represent Seneca Women and iHeartMedia, it looks like this is for real, I'm making a podcast! So I've started taking some steps to prepare for the podcast's launch.
I'm browsing through some options for music, and I've been reaching out to artists for a logo. I think I've found an artist I like too. I know what episodes that I want to do for the season, so I'm starting to reach out to individuals who are willing to talk about their dating life experience. And I'll start interviewing when I get back.
I don't know what's going to happen from the podcast, but it seemed like a cool opportunity.
How's the Audiobook Coming?
It's coming along, I'm editing when I can while I'm on the road. I am very determined to finish the audiobook by the end of the year.
As you may remember, I put the rest of voice acting to the side at the moment, but I'm gonna jump back in when I get back to Los Angeles after my trip. I miss it so much.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Also feel free to check out Determinal Velocity's (My Production Company) Social Media Links
(Admittedly there's a lot of bleed over, but hey give a like when you can!)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScareActorsShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scareactorsshow/
Website: https://determinalvelocity.com/
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
We're Done Filming Scare Actors!! 8/5/22
I can't believe it, it still hasn't hit me yet. Just a few days ago we wrapped on Production for Scare Actors! Holy Cow. It's just crazy to think that I've been working on this project since November 2021 (much longer in conceptualization) and now we're finished with filming my first short film.
The past month had it's challenges, playing with a remaining budget, figuring out how to film five different sets in one weekend, and juggling it all with myself preparing for a two month trip right afterwards. But tackling one challenge at a time, and working on it every day helped us get to where we are. I'm very happy with the weekend, I really need a good nap.
But it's not over yet. Now the real fun part, editing. I have an amazing editing team, so I know they're both going to kill it. That's going to be our main focus for now, doing notes, possibly recording some VO for certain scenes, and getting follie/music just right. Once editing is done, we'll get to start showing it off!
Expect lots of fun pics and video from behind the scenes in the next couple of months!
I'm taking a Big Trip!
I've told a lot of people about this already, but I'm dong a traveling sales job for the next few months! I did this job last year and made some mad bucks, all the while traveling around the east coast! I'm super excited to have a little adventure out of state while doing notes for editing.
How's the Audiobook Coming?
I actually was able to make some big steps this month, in preparation to the big trip, and being away from my recording booth, I pre-recorded 9 chapters. I'll spend some free time editing on the road. Once those are chapters are edited, I'm 80% done with the book. I'm ashamed it's taking me this long, but I do sincerely want to finish this book by the end of the year.
I'm Making a Podcast?!
You may have seen my post a few times about this, but a few months ago I won a podcast pitch competition with iHeartMedia and Seneca Women. The prize included a platform to produce a podcast. We're still in the paperwork stage, but if all goes well I'll have podcast ready to show by December! It's about dating from different walks of life. I may be reaching out to you, so let me know if you're interested in being on the podcast!
As you may remember, I put the rest of voice acting to the side at the moment, but I'm gonna jump back in when I get back to Los Angeles after my trip. I miss it so much.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Also feel free to check out Determinal Velocity's (My Production Company) Social Media Links
(Admittedly there's a lot of bleed over, but hey give a like when you can!)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScareActorsShow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scareactorsshow/
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
You guys are great! Thank you for reading! Love you!
Ohh We're Halfway There.... OOHHHH 7/13/22
Wow a crazy month, June that is, and I guess the beginning of July. I'll throw them together, since they both were all about Campaigning.
I learned a lot during the Indiegogo campaign. Mostly that it takes a lot of time, and you gotta diversify how you reach out to people. But considering the circumstances, and the fact that is was my first time trying to figure it all out, I think we did alright. We ended the Campaign with a grand total of $2,035 from the generous donations of 40 backers. Thank you again to all 40 of you. You all saw something special in us and gave what you could. I'm so incredibly grateful!
You can see the details of the campaign end here.
So what's next?
PILOT PRODUCTION
Well we took some huge steps! We had our first film-shoot! And wow it was awesome, but at the same time... insane.
I took a lot of prep time to create the sets, and create props, which I think turned out great!
1922 Murder at the Old Turner House
It was really fun to figure out how to make some objects look old and used. And dang the set for the Haunted House attraction itself turned out great for the small budget we had.
And now we get to do it all one more time. We should be having our final shoot date at the end of the month.
Admittedly we decided to do some of the more difficult/emotional scenes first, just to make sure we had the time to make them look great. Now we'll work on the filler scenes. But now we'll have less time per scene, since we have more settings to film in.
We plan on finishing all the filming by early August (giving time to potentially do a pickup day.)
Now of course after that comes editing. But we're not going to focus on that until August. For now I'm prepping for our next big weekend. It feels great to have come so far, but at the same time, I'm so tired. I'm ready for a little break.
How's the Audiobook Coming?
I'm back to recording the audiobook! I'm going to be on the road for a few months, so I'm trying to record as much as I can beforehand so I have something to edit on some downtime. The goal is to record everything before the trip, but I know more than likely I'lll get like 10 or so recorded to edit.
I put the rest of voice acting to the side at the moment, but I'm gonna jump back in the fall. I miss it so much.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy "Gos" Goshorn
You guys are great! Thank you for reading! Love you!
Lights, Camera.... Campaign? 6/10/22
Woo! Okay so, another crazy month. If you follow any of my social medias, which you probably do if you're reading this now, we've been campaigning for almost a month now. If you haven't see it yet here's the link!
PILOT PRODUCTION
It's been a pretty busy month so far. Last month I said we needed to do Script Re-writes and start Campaigning. Now, the script writing was really stressful to work on with such a time constraint. And while I do think it turned out great, I wish we had approached the script re-writing earlier. I had planned to be done with the script back in April, that way I could just focus on pre-production and campaigning. But I've been struggling with the other tasks to make a film happen. We'll figure it out, hey I'm learning! But now it's Crunch Time!
Now I extended the Indiegogo time to help me find time to keep campaigning. Our Indiegogo campaign will be open until July 9th. If you are able to spare a few dollars we would greatly appreciate it. Otherwise if you could share it on whatever social media you have, again we would be so grateful! At the time of this post we're at $1,050 USD, which is incredible! Now our Grand goal is $12,000. However we know how to be frugal, and there are some corners we can cut. No matter how much funding we gather, we're going to make this short film. If I have to apply for some more loans that's what we'll do.
Oh also I updated my Determinal Velocity website to showcase our Scare Actors Short Film:
And I also scheduled our film days and what scenes we'll film on what days. We're going to try our best to prepare as much as possible ahead of time. Our goal is to film an average of 13 pages of script a day.
Now what's next? Well we're starting to film soon, our first film-shoot is June 25th! But we still have some stuff to do!
Gather Props: I have a few things ready, but now it's time to go through the script and any time an item is mentioned, we need to either find it or prepare it.
Set Building: Now since we're filming at my house I'm going to take advantage and prepare the set a week in advance to spend time on details.
Rehearsal: Now that the script is done, and the cast is filled. We're going to have a rehearsal to prepare our cast as much as possible.
Film-Shoot: We're planning on having a big film-shoot weekend, and our goal is to do half of the script. I think it's possible, but it's going to be a really busy weekend.
Keep Campaigning: We have one more month of campaigning, please help me out and share the project with any friends whom you think would love a comedy mystery short.
I'll admit I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment, but if I can really put my nose to the grindstone for one more month, July should have less responsibilities.
Voice Acting Update!
About half way through May, I had someone reach out to me to do a voice in a VR module! It was the first time anyone had asked me out of the blue to voice something. It was an amazing experience, and hopefully won't be the first time! As soon as I can share more info I will, but I did get to play a cute fairy, so that was fun!
And that's about it.
The short film has consumed so much of my time. Which is great, but I have had to put my Voice Acting and Maddy Goshorn Media to the back seat for a little bit. I did get a chance to record on Wednesday, but it may be another month until I can record again. At that point I'll get back to the audiobook!
It's Starting! 5/7/22
Every month I say to my director, "Wow this step makes this feel so real, like it's really happening." These past couple of months, have been such an amazing adventure, but it's incredible that we finally started filming!
PILOT PRODUCTION
This past month was tough, but we were successful with all our goals!
We now have a casted team of actors!
We acquired a few micro-loans to get us started!
We just filmed our Promo! Our first film shoot for Scare Actors!
We did have a hiccup with casting. Our first casting call we had cast Lynn, Ms. Keys, and Xiao. However we only acquired a few auditions for Jordan, and they didn't quite capture the character we imagined. And it didn't help that about a week and half after that our actor playing Xiao had to drop out. It was just bad timing.
But, after a meeting, my director and I decided to open up both character's demographics to have a bigger pool of auditions. And we found some amazing actors when we did!
We also have a Director of Photography and an Editor join the team, both are individuals my director and I met at an internship. And wow, they are incredibly hard working professionals.
So the Promo is currently being edited, and when it's done we'll be jumping into kickstarting!
After a little research, we decided to try Indiegogo. Unlike Kickstarter, Indiegogo lets you take whatever funds you get from campaigning.
Now I can be pretty frugal, so I think we'll be able to work with whatever funds we get. I have worked on a budget, and if we want to pay everyone a fair pay, make the set designs we want, and use the equipment we want, we'll need a grand total of $12,000. I have noted the areas that we can cut in my books, and this is also to help pay off the micro-loans. However, we will work with what we get!
Another new development, we spoke with a few investors, and they encouraged us to aim to make the Pilot into more of short film. I had to think about it for a little bit, taking this path would involve re-writes, potentially bigger budget, and step away from the original creative idea. But a short film could have a better chance at pitching the project for a greater scale down the line. If you think about it... a pilot is the introduction to a story and a short film has the whole story, just shrunk down. So, I think we're going to try to tweak some things to hopefully encapsulate this new progression in our project.
But the real kicker is... we are still planning on filming in late June and July, only time will tell if we're able to get this done in time. "Tune in next month for the thrilling adventure of The Making of Scare Actors!"
To sum up... I've got two big goals to do this month.
Script Re-writes: I've already started to brainstorm, but getting it finished later this month will be a great challange as a writer.
Campaign: We should have our Indeigogo campaign going in about a week. And from there we'll see what we can do!
It'll be busy, but that's literally been this whole year so far... so let's keep it going!
How's the Audiobook Coming?
The author and I decided to take a small break with recording. She's very busy and I'm very busy, but I did plan on getting back to the book as soon as I can.
Voice Acting Updates!
I'm recording lines for Project Eden's Garden. I'm having a lot of fun with this character, and I can't wait to see where the story goes!
I was recently cast in an independent animated movie, which is incredibly Amazing! I don't believe I'm allowed to really talk about it just yet. But when I can I'll be sure to share!
Maddy Goshorn Media Projects
I was able to do another book trailer, this one for Dr. Velma Bagby's The Catch That No One Wants. And we're already talking about doing another one soon!
By the way if you know the show Chain Reaction on the Game Show Network, I was very fortunate to be on it a few weeks ago with some good friends! It was a blast to be on! You can find it on Philo.
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators. I'm taking business classes with NEW Women's Business Center in Los Angeles, which hopefully will help me with figuring out the business stuff of the project.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Twas a Business Month 4/6/22
Hey! How's everyone doing? Good? Alright!
So I've been focusing so much on my creative stuff (voice acting, writing, etc.) which has been awesome! But this month was the slap in the face of... money and business, and how they're what it takes to make a professional project.
PILOT PRODUCTION
So we have our script (still being tweaked from time to time), our director, our location, and most of our team. My director Natalie and I started meetings on a weekly basis. This month was first projected to be committed to pre-production (set design, prop lists, shot lists), but Natalie and I started talking more and more about budget. Admittedly I started to feel like we were putting our eggs in an imaginary basket. I honestly thought back in January, I could pay for this project out of pocket. HOWEVER, people (understandably) would like to be compensated for their work and time.
After talking to my director, it became clear that money needed to be a higher priority. So, we got down... to business.
I finally picked a business entity. After a little more research, I decided to file for an LLC. I believe it has the best of both worlds when it comes to insurance and ownership. So I filed for registration using Zen Business (not spon) and they helped me with my business registration and getting a tax number. So boom I now own a business! Determinal Velocity LLC.
We currently have a website, but admittedly it's pretty basic, I'm sure it'll update as time goes on. I did spend some time making a reel for the website, and it's right below!
If you could share our website you'd be an absolute peach! https://determinalvelocity.com/
How are we going to get money? I'm figuring out there are a lot of different ways.
A very common way film projects gain money is through Kickstarter Campaigns. They're not bad, but they aren't guaranteed funds unless you meet your goal, they involve a lot of work reaching out to people, and Kickstarter takes a chunk of earnings.
You could reach out to Investors. At first I wasn't sure about this avenue, and just asking companies for money felt kind of fruitless. I'm just this new filmmaker, these guys don't know me or have any reason to believe I could give them money back. However, after some brainstorming I decided to reach out to potential investors who could be directly connected to our project, in this case, Haunted Houses. We're going to offer making some basic advertisement in exchange for money for our pilot.
Or you could apply to Business Loans. Now I didn't know what I would find looking for business loans. After some consulting and research, I found a few organizations that offer micro-loans with little to no interest. But you will eventually need to pay them back.
There are a few other ways to possibly fund your project, but at the moment we are doing a combination of all the three. If everything works out, we plan on being approved by a micro-loan or two to get us started. We'll start a kickstarter campaign, to cover bare-minimum costs, and all the while we'll reach out to investors. After-all even if we get a few businesses interested in the project. It'll be money we can use.
So money, money, money. I admit it's not my favorite part of the filming process, but I know it's a necessary thing to assure we can pay the staff and cast what they deserve.
Speaking of Cast! Natalie convinced me that we needed cast members sooner rather than later. So we strummed up a casting call with basic character descriptions and splashed in on social media. And the response has been pretty good, but we'll be open until April 8th, so if anyone reading this wants to audition, you can find the information down below! And I am so grateful Natalie is heading up the casting call. She is so busy emailing actors, giving them sides and gathering info about them.
Okay so that was the big update from last month. Not exactly what I was planning but that's okay, the plan evolved and so did I. So let's talk about the goals for this month!
Continue Funding: We're going to reach out to Investors as much as we can. I'm waiting to hear back from the micro-loan applications, and hopefully we'll have some money under our belt soon.
CASTING!: Our casting call ends soon! And we plan on having our cast confirmed within a week or two, depending on whether callbacks are needed.
Film a Promo: After some discussion Natalie and I decided it would be best to make a short promo to help with crowdfunding. Providing we find some funds and our cast is able to film on the last minute notice. We'll try our best to film it by the end of the month.
It'll be a busy month, but let's see what we can do!
How's the Audiobook Coming?
I've gotten a few chapters done and I'm continuing the best I can. But admittedly it may take a little longer with all the plans we have.
Voice Acting Updates!
I'm recording lines for Project Eden's Garden. Which if you haven't heard I will be voicing Ingrid Grimwall!! I already love this character and hopefully you'll be able to hear her when the time comes.
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators. I'm taking business classes with NEW Women's Business Center in Los Angeles, which hopefully will help me with figuring out the business stuff of the project.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy Goshorn
You guys are great! Thank you for reading! Love you!
I Bought a Home! 3/1/22
So this is admittedly a personal victory, but I have been in the legal throw for nearly two months trying to close the deal. I just wanted to get that out of my system. Woo!
So back to business, I didn't get as much done in the creative world, since closing the deal took a lot of my time. But let's jump in to what did get done last month!
PILOT PRODUCTION
Real quick...
We did get some feedback on the pilot Script. There was a lot of good encouragement but there was also some good critiques. I can't recommend enough to send scripts to contests that offer feedback. You can dismiss any notes you get, but you should at least listen and give each piece of feedback a few minutes to think over and consider if it fits into the overall story you want to tell.
I also got a Director attached to the project! If you know Natalie Lomske, she's great! I worked with her in the past, she is good at calling me out on shots that could be better, as well giving her own creative input in the work. So Boom! Another part of the team!
Now let's continue to the goals for February,
Location: So now that the house is bought. We're going to start measuring the dimensions to start with set design! If all goes as planned, we're going to plan all of the interior scenes in my house. We think if we pick different corners and give enough set dressing, it'll be seamless. Only time will tell! As for the outside location we have been looking at Giggster. It's an app that showcases a variety of different places that can be rented by the hour for a variety of reasons. We found a couple of places that fit our needs and once we have some set dates we'll reach out to four different places and see what availability they have. That way, we should have options!
Business: I have done some research on business entities, but not enough. I need to keep researching to figure out what the best option is. Hopefully by the end of the month I'll have enough info to pick a type of business entity and submit for it.
So that's what happened this last month. So what's next?
Set Design. Now that we have a pretty good idea for what the space will be, we can now figure out how we want each scene to be laid out. Right now I'm gonna try to use the app called Room planner. There's lots of different apps that can help you make a rough 3D layout to build upon.
Prop list. After we have the set designed, we can itemize all the props for scenery. I'm not sure if I know much of a difference between a prop and set dressing, other than props are what you interact with and the rest fill out the scene. At this point, we'll make a list for both, with flexibility for the set dressing.
Shot list. Once we have our set designed, then we can make our basic shot list for the scenes. For anyone who doesn't know. A shot list is a short description of every angle the camera is facing in each scene. They're good guides to have.
This is plenty of stuff to work on. And honestly the shot list may be pushed back to April. But it's good to set goals!
How's the Audiobook Coming?
I've gotten a few chapters done and I am over the half way point. I'm trying to finish by the end of the month, we'll see!
A couple of Voice Acting Jobs have come along too!
I'm recording lines for the projects I was cast in early this year AND I was recently cast in another independent animation project! I'm not sure if I can share info on that yet, but we start recording next month. I'm feeling really good about Voice Over this year, and we'll see what the rest of the year has to offer!
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy Goshorn
You guys are great! Thank you for reading! Love you!
Some things get done, and others... well 2/1/22
Dang I don't know about you but January went fast, I guess time does fly when you're having fun.
I had a pretty great month myself. If you read my last post you know that this year I am attempting my biggest filming project so far: My first pilot episode!
And I'm here to note down the steps I'm taking, both the wins, and the failure. So let's just jump right in!
PILOT PRODUCTION
So last month's goals involved gathering: the Script, the Budget, and the Team. And here's what happened:
Script: I'm happy to say that the Script, for the most part is done! Now I have a feeling that the script may still change in the pre-production and production phases. However I think I have a pretty solid foundation.
Once I felt pretty confident about the script, I started submitting the script to writing competitions. Now they do cost a bit of money, but some competitions offer cash prizes, and potential meetings with producers, I'd say that's a pretty good prize. Not to mention that it's a great way to share the pilot as time goes on if the script places in any competitions! I'll let you know if any news happens!
Budget: Now I did get a good start on a budget plan. But the biggest block I had was a location to film in. Frequently places charge a lot for a bare space, and asking to film in authentic spaces doesn't generally have a great response record. After a little bit of thought, I think it would be the best to film in my own home. And currently I'm planning on moving to a more spacious abode in the LA county. I haven't figured out all the paperwork involved in filming in my own home, but money wise, it would be a cheaper solution for the space. However I may need to buy more equipment for sound proofing and lighting. However, I have itemized props and costumes into my budget. So I'd consider this half done! (Maybe more like a third, but we'll see.)
Team: The team is getting together! Now I'm no Nick Fury gathering up my Avengers. But I do have a camera operator, sound operator, and editor. I've also spoken with a few musicians to use their music in the pilot, and they are super excited to be apart of the project! I'm hoping to nail down a director and assistant director by the end of the month. I've even started reaching out to actors I'm interested in. I do think it's a little early to start talking about casting the whole cast, however the few that I'm interested in are out of state and would need some time to make a decision and plan to travel to California. So this one feels pretty checked, but once we have dates to film, that is when the team has something to commit to.
So that's what happened this last month. Which is a lot! Especially for just myself embarking on this big project. So what's next?
Location. When we have a place to film, we can plan so many things around it. We can plan sets, then we can plan shot-lists, and then we can plan dates for filming! And I'm planning on filming them in my new home, however I'm waiting for all the paperwork to follow through with that. The only other location we're going to need is the exterior of an old house. And honestly I'm a little stumped to fine a place that is: secluded, in the woods, old enough to be a haunted house location, and not too expensive to film for one evening.
Business: Now I forgot if I mentioned this, but in the end of 2021 I was able to talk to a movie producer! And he was super cool to tell me the first couple of steps to take when taking on a big project. He mentioned to have your own business entity to transfer funds around with and to take liability for when things go astray. This is admittedly something I don't have a lot of experience with, but I'm going to ask lots of questions and figure it out as I go. Once I have a new place to live I'll have an address to pin my business to, so this too is waiting for my new home to finalize.
So that's those are the next steps! Find a location, after which a slew of more tasks will come after. And in the mean time, keep finalizing my team and any budget details that come up.
ALSO! If anyone knows of a house that fits the description above please feel free to let me know!
How's the Audiobook Coming?
I was pretty focused on the above tasks so I was unable to work on the audio book. However, since I'm waiting on a location, I'm gonna try my best to get the rest of the audiobook done this month. I don't know if I'll succeed, but I already recorded another chapter today, so I'm on a good start.
A couple of Voice Acting Jobs have come along too!
Now I can't talk too much about the projects now, but I was cast two projects this month! Both from auditions I did last year. One is an animation project, and the other is an indie video-game. I'm really excited about the video game project and as soon as I can, I'll share more details.
And, this isn't a job mind you, but I did compete in the Now Voice This! voice over competition. I've been competing for the past few years, but this year I'm a finalist! The winners should be announced in the next few weeks. The winners make some great connections and some tech prizes! It was so awesome to grow and learn every-time I submitted. And for other voice actors who want a fun competition to submit to check it out!
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy Goshorn
You guys are great! Thank you for reading! Love you!
Happy New Years! Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes! 1/5/22
Wooo 2022! Come get it! I'm super excited for this year. I really feel like it's going to be a good change from the past couple we've had. Now in all fairness, I say that almost every year, I guess I'm just a little optimistic.
This past year was pretty good for me, it had it's ups and downs, but I really feel like I've improved in so many ways this year!
I moved three times, and SPOILER I'm moving again soon, but got to Los Angeles after a little hiatus.
I started my freelancing production company Maddy Goshorn Media, and it was a great first year. For the full scale of all the projects done this past year check out this link!
I joined HeatDance as an intern and learned so much and quickly became a co-captain of cinematography.
I continued voice acting, and was cast as a few roles here and there!
I took a traveling gig job which allowed me to travel around the country and make a nice chunk of change!
So yeah I'd say it was a pretty good year! And I started doing this blog! I wasn't as consistent as I was hoping, but hey I didn't always have that much to say. But this next year I want to try and do something a little different with the blog.
PILOT PRODUCTION
I took a class about pitching, and after talking with a few professionals about it, I decided I'm going to produce a pilot this year and start pitching with it later in 2022! Now I'm learning so much, and I wanted to use this blog to talk about the process. The ups and downs, the pitfalls and the wins, I'll update about this project on this blog every month. Maybe other creatives out there can use it as advice on the direction to head in, or at least learn from my mistakes.
First off... the idea. This part is easy right? Kind of actually. I'm sure a lot of people have an idea they would love to make into a show. And thinking is pretty fun. The next part is making it seem like a good idea to everyone else.
Next... the pitch. I'm learning how important it is to sum up your idea in a short, sweet, and witty way. I took some classes about what to include, and it'll be totally different depending on your idea. Comedy, drama, documentary, and every other idea are distinct in their own way. And it's not a bad idea to have a pitch written out in long form, five or so pages, and short, less than a page. I've written a short pitch.
I'm learning that when you have almost any form of the project. You share it and ask for advice and help. This way it's a good way to start implanting the idea out in the community, as well as getting any nudge in the right direction. I submitted the pitch to the ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Fall 2021and it placed as a Semifinalist! A great encouragement, and some great advice with it!
And with a pitch you can start to talk to producers and other members of the industry. HOWEVER! I did talk to an experienced producer and I did not have enough prepared past the pitch. So just know that they'll ask if you have a business ready to except money, if you have any other names attached to the projects, and really if you have anything else that can give a producer something to pitch with. The producer is the one talking to other members of the industry and they'll need any and all material to help pitch it themselves.
So what's next?
That's what I'm working on now. At the moment I'm working on three things.
Script. Getting a good foundation to work with is so important for getting other people on board. The pitch is good, but if they ask for more... you need something else. At the moment I have a decent first draft, but it needs a little work before I'd be ready to share with the world.
Budget. This may not be everyone's path, but something I want to do is independently produce a pilot that's all mine to then use to pitch. I personally want to own all the projects that I make, and possibly one day produce them all myself. So I'm learning about every aspect that costs money, and doing research for how much they cost. Plus if the producer asks how much money you need for a project, you can give them a rough estimate.
Team. You gotta find people who will be there when things start to move. It can be hard to find them in person, but luckily the internet has been a great tool. Find people on sites like LinkedIn and Stage 32, look at their work and reach out to see if they'd be interested in the project. (Make sure to have a rough idea of what they would be paid in mind, and make sure to keep their experience in mind as well as your own budget.)
So that's where I'm at so far! Hopefully at the end of the month. A script will be ready, or at least at a good place because things can change the script throughout the process, and I'll have a budget and team in place!
Thanks for keeping up with me and feel free to reach out if you would like to be apart of the project!
Now on to the other things I've been up to in the last tenth of 2021!
Maddy Goshorn Media Projects!
I was able to make another book trailer, this one is for Barbara Britton who hired me to make my first book trailer Lioness! She's back baby! And this book is all about a Philistine warrior named Ittai. Check the trailer for Defending David.
That's all the projects for now, there's been a few other things eating my time at the moment. But if you're looking for any commercials, trailers, or any form of promotion for your own project or business let me know.
How's the Audiobook Coming?
I've made great progress actually! The original plan was to finish it by the end of the year, but there's been other things taking my attention and time. However! I am nearly half way through the book, and (fingers crossed) it'll be finished by the end of February!
A couple of Voice Acting Jobs have come along too.
I was able to play my returning character for The Rise of King Asilas, Lord Vanessa Banks. She had a bigger hand in this season! Thank you to JV Torres for asking me to return!
And even thought this happened awhile ago I can now share the game where I play the dastardly Ursula in Whispered Secrets: Ripple of the Heart. It's a fun puzzle and point and click adventure, you can hear me in the trailer! But also in the game as well, check it out!
I was cast in another independent animation project, but it's in it's early stages at the moment! I'll share more when I can!
On the creative film making side...
Unfortunately I didn't have the time to finish any skits. I started to edit the next skit, however looking back on it, the frame rate is off. I had filmed in early last year and I hadn't had the amount of experience I do now to know better. But hey I know now! But it'll take time to edit and it may be a bit until I can work on it again. For now the pilot is taking most of my filmmaking time.
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy Goshorn
You guys are great! Thank you for reading! Love you!
Autumn Happenings! As in what's happening in Autumn... Or what already happened...Autumn Happened... 11/1/21
Happy Halloween!
Is what I said yesterday, because it was Halloween.
This year was insane for everyone, but I believe we're on the upswing. And it's not over yet!
I just spent a few months traveling around the country working as a Poster Salesperson, it was an awesome little adventure! But I'm back in Los Angeles and still doing some real fun stuff.
Maddy Goshorn Media Projects!
Despite being super busy with the the road trip, I was able to finish the music compositions for The Clergymen series. I don't think I've brought it up before, but The Clergymen is an audio-drama taking place in a grime and gritty fantasy world where members of the Clergy travel around the world to fight criminals, sometimes of the supernatural kind.
It's a project that's been in the works for a few years but the show is just about ready to be released! I'll be sharing the episodes as they release on my social media, and then next month I'll be sure to share a link to the collection. Now, It's a pretty intense show with lots of dark themes, harsh language and complicated topics, but very well done, if I do say so myself.
The Commercial that I produced back in May was released recently! It's a commercial that was aired on a local channel in the Ashburn, Virginia area. It's for the StageCoach Theatre Company and their ARG they are promoting. You can find it here on my channel if you're interested in checking it out.
I also made a book trailer for Laura DeNooyer's mystery novel All that is Hidden. It takes place in the 1960's Appalachian Mountains. Sort of calls back to my roots of growing up in Virginia. Check out the trailer! And check out the book!
How's the Audiobook Coming?
Lori Altebaumer's A Firm Place to Stand has become my main focus. I am churning out chapters every few days. And I hope to be finished with the audiobook by the end of the year! Feel free to check out the trailer for the book here.
On the creative film making side...
I haven't released any more skits in the past few months. Which is something I'm kicking myself over. I was able to film another skit, but I really have to stop filming skits when I have a few sitting in the editing bay. I'm working on another one on the side and maybe it'll be done this month. But in reality it may need to wait until I'm done with the Audiobook.
However, I have had a little time to write and starting to work on pitching a show. It's in the beginning of the process, and I'm learning a lot.
I did submit a written pitch to a competition in September in hopes of receiving some feedback.
And to my surprise it's doing pretty well, in fact the pitch is currently a semi-finalist in the Screencraft's Virtual Pitch Competition.
Which is super cool! It's another big encouragement that I'm doing something right! I'll be sure to let you know if it goes any further.
The show that I'm pitching is called Scare Actors, and I don't want to tell too much about the show yet, but you can probably guess from the title what it's about. I'll let y'all know if any more happens in the progression of the pre-production!
A few other fun happenings!
By the way, I was cast about a year ago in an Audiodrama called The Rise of King Asilas, I play Lord Vanessa Banks, and she's gotten a little more focus in the story as of late, so if you'd like to check it out you can here.
Oh and I did film for an episode of a Game Show for the Game Show Network. Once the episode airs, I'll be sure to share, but I can't say more...I could get sued.
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Also feel free to send me an email, about whatever. I may not respond immediately
but I love hearing from people I care about and who care about me. So feel free to send an email to maddygoshorn@gmail.com.
Maddy Goshorn
You guys are great! Thank you for reading!
On the road, for two months. 8/8/21
It's the start of August, fall is on its way. Which is great, if you like Autumn that is. I heard people like it, but whatever.
My internship has come to an end. It was an incredible experience. I started as a Behind the Scenes cinematographer, but moved up to Co-captain of the department during my time with them. I was able to design a promotional video for the company, and help teach some workshops! I met some wonderful people whom I hope to work with more in the future!
On to my next big adventure!
I'm about to take a two month adventure through a company called Poster Invasion. It'll be a lot of sales for the most part. However I'm hoping to get some more filming done as well!
This job is going to take me all around the country. Now I'm not allowed to say exactly where we're going, but if you're up for a visit from me let me know! If I'm in your area I'll try to swing by!
Maddy Goshorn Media Projects!
Despite being super busy with the internship, I was able to work on a few more projects in the in-between time.
First off, no word from the commercial yet. It's a finished video, but the owners may not be able to share for a little while longer. The second I can share it, I will!
I was able to make another book trailer, this one is from the World War 2 time period. Please feel free to check out the trailer for Pat Jeanne Davis' novel When Valleys Bloom Again
I was also invited to make the Bio/Intro video for The Institute for Association and Nonprofit Research. Thank you again to Joe Bates for giving me the opportunity. In fact we're talking about working together some more, stay tuned for what that's bringing!
How's the Audiobook Coming?
Good question. I've been awfully busy and haven't worked much on the audiobook as of yet. However, once I finish one more project, I'm going to give it my main focus! I've recorded a few chapters, so it's in the works! Just wait a few more months.
On the creative film making side...
I released another skit just the other day, some people have seen it and thank you so much for all those who did! It's a fun little parody video about a pair of "monster hunters."
It's called Bigfoot Bachelorette.
Feel free to give it a watch! I'm hoping very soon to start releasing more videos more frequently. We will see what happens after these next two months.
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow up on more frequent updates, as well as see some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy Goshorn
You guys are great! Thank you for reading!
New Place, New Time, New Update! 5/17/21
Hi my friends!
First off I want to thank everyone for the Birthday wishes. You're all very kind and I had a great birthday, so thank you very much!
So I didn't post for the month of March or April, and it's because I moved! I'm in Los Angeles, California baby!
I recently got accepted into a Cinematography Internship over here in LA. It's a great opportunity and I'm learning so much. The company is called Heat Dance and they make stylized instructional workout videos.
Feel free to check them out:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatdancela/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HeatDance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatDanceLA/
Maddy Goshorn Media Projects!
Despite being super busy with moving and starting an internship, I was able to work on a few more projects in the in-between time.
First off in preparation for the internship I made a Dance Demo Video for the submission. But it got me thinking how a lot of dancers might benefit from such a project. So if you know any dancers who want to make a nice video to show off their dancing skills feel free to point them my way! Here's the demo I made with a very helpful Katie Marsh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXXFiHDvIJM
I also was able to make another Book Trailer. This one is for Jill K Willis' The Demons Among Us.
I also finished my first Commercial project, super exciting stuff! However I can't quite share it yet! Give the owners a month or so to line their ducks in order. But still very exciting stuff!
Also at the top of March I also received my first Photography Job. I learned a lot through the process and I'm so grateful to New Energy Chiropractic for allowing me to take their pictures.
An Audiobook is Coming?
That's right! I recently made a deal with Lori Altebaumer, Author of A Firm Place to Stand, to read her book for her to sell. I've started recording, but it'll be a little bit until it's ready to release.
On the creative film making side...
I know, I know. I haven't released a video on my youtube channel. Mostly due to the moving. But I was able to film another skit right before I moved away. As soon as I get time I"m going to edit and share in June!
A few other fun happenings!
Cake Block's Comedy Podcasts is still releasing episodes, I'm not in every episode but I am a frequent Voice Actor there.
Dragon Humpers has taken some ups and downs recently but we're planning to jump back in soon. It has a lot of crude humor, and it may not be for everyone, but if you like Dnd, you like me, and you're free Wednesdays and Sundays between 9pm -11pm EST... feel free to tune in: https://www.twitch.tv/dragonhumpers
No takers on my scripts yet, but If anyone wants to read it you can download it here. However, remember it's not a finished project. I'm getting great feedback all the time. So I'm sure it will get better with some more notes, heck if you want to give me notes on it, I'll take it!
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow more updates on a more frequent basis, as well as some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy Goshorn
February, Wow that went fast! 3/8/21
February, anyone else want to spell it out Feb - brew - ary? Just me? Cool...
The shortest month of the year, and if felt like it flew by. And despite it being short I got a lot done!
Maddy Goshorn Media's Happenings!
More book trailers were made through Maddy Goshorn Media, including:
Meanwhile some groundwork was made on a commercial project that will probably be released next month! It'll be fun I swear!
By the way the Historical Bookworm Podcast is released now! You can check out their episode here in which I had made their Intro, Outro, and seg-way pieces.
You can find them here at Audible, Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, iHeartRadio, and on other platforms, just do a little searching!
A couple of Voice Acting Jobs have come along too!
I was able to voice a few lines for an audio series called The Miseducation of John Mark, now the lines I voice are in the very last episode, but if you'd like to check out their series, feel free to do so here.
I was also hired to voice a villainous character in an English adaptation of a video game called Whispered Secrets 12. It won't be released for a few more months, but when that's ready to share I'll be sure to share a link!
On the creative film making side...
Even though it was technically released March 1st, I spent several days at the end of February editing the short skit Resting Bitch Face Foundation PSA (EXPLICIT)
Feel free to share the video if you like it! And feel free to subscribe for more videos that I will release every month.
At the beginning of the month I filmed for March's short film, it's another comedic sketch starring a lot of the same faces that's been in previous sketches of mine.
I also spent nearly two weeks working another big project. I don't want to say too much about it now, but I will say that I'm pitching a video format to other youtube channels. If it goes well I'll be partnering up with another channel. If it doesn't get picked up, I'm sure I'll end up sharing it on my own channel.
A few other fun happenings!
Cake Block's Comedy Podcasts started to release, I'm not in every episode but I am a frequent Voice Actor there, feel to check it out at: Apple Podcasts, Podtail, Radiofly,Audible, And on other platforms, just do a little searching!
Things are going well on the DnD Twitch channel I joined called Dragon Humpers. It has a lot of crude humor, and it may not be for everyone, but if you like Dnd, you like me, and you're free Wednesdays and Sundays between 9pm -11pm EST... feel free to tune in: https://www.twitch.tv/dragonhumpers
I also submitted a pilot script of mine to a few script writing contests, I'll let everyone know if it wins any awards, either way I'm getting awesome feedback to make it better. If anyone wants to read it you can download it here. However, remember it's not a finished project. I'm getting great feedback all the time. So I'm sure it will get better with some more notes, heck if you want to give me notes on it, I'll take it!
And that's about it! I'm still working on the craft, auditioning all the time, and working online with my fellow creators.
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow more updates on a more frequent basis, as well as some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy Goshorn
JANUARY 2021 Productivity Update 1/31/21
What a great start to 2021!
Even though the world has still been cray cray, Maddy Goshorn Media has had a great start to the year.
At the top of the month, I offered a wild discount for one-minute book trailers for writers. The first five people to respond, received a book trailer for only $20. It was nabbed up within 24 hours. Considering Maddy Goshorn Media is a super new company, I want to say thank you again to everyone who took a chance on me.
I've been working on the trailers slowly but surely. If you want to see how they are coming along feel free to check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvu5PxK9ZqVLYOG83XblOw
Also I was hired to make the Intro, Outro and seg-ways for the Historical Bookworm Podcast. Which will start to release their episodes very soon!
A couple of Voice Acting Jobs have come along too!
I was hired to record some Audio for an upcoming app called Whispp. Once it's fully developed, it's supposed to be a tool for individuals who stutter. It will probably be a few months until it's finished, but when it's done I'll be sure to share it.
I was also hired to read for a corporate pitch video for Worldpay from FIS. I was able to show relatability and positivity about the product.
On the creative film making side...
Ghosts of Kinship has been combined into one 25 minute short, and submitted to a few film festivals. And so far.... It was nominated for one of them! The 4th Dimension Independent Film Festival!
This is an awesome start, and even if it isn't picked up anywhere else, I'm grateful for everything I've learned so far, and I hope my future projects are even better.
And I released Graduation: a short film. It's a nine minute film about remembering the past and moving forward. This video has been sitting in my editing limbo for the past year and a half, and since I've learned so much since then, the audio isn't great for this particular video. However, I loved a lot about the skit and so I decided to share it anyways. If you want to check it out here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s78GL_4QLDk&t=10s
I've been filming for next month's comedy skit... and I don't want to give too much away but it's a little different from my normal stuff... by that I mean...funny... hopefully.
I'll share that probably mid February!
A few other fun happenings!
I recently joined a DnD Twitch channel called Dragon Humpers. It has a lot of crude humor, and it may not be for everyone, but if you like Dnd, you like me, and you're free Wednesdays and Sundays between 9pm -11pm EST... feel free to tune in: https://www.twitch.tv/dragonhumpers
I also joined a sketch group podcast called Cake Block. We're still working on the audio right now, but when those start to get released I'll share them for sure!
I also took a voice over audition workshop class with Tony Oliver and Dorah Fine. It was an awesome experience to get advice from professionals and maybe even make some new friends.
I definitely recommend for any Voice Actor! https://www.adventuresinvoiceacting.com/virtual-courses
And that's about it. A lot of working on projects to come, taking classes to learn about new equipment I recently bought, and staying hopeful about the future!
Thank you for your time! Hopefully this awesome start of a year keeps up as time goes on!
Thanks for reading! If you want to follow more updates on a more frequent basis, as well as some joke videos I make from time to time, feel free to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.goshorn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddyGoshorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddog_goshorn/
Maddy Goshorn
A Blog? Why would you do that? 12/21/20
Yeah, a blog.
Why? I guess I just had more time than I knew what to do with, despite voice acting projects, producing films for Determinal Velcoity, writing scripts for competitions, working, and helping others make videos.
Now I imagine I'll only post once a month, with updates on projects, as well as any new features I'll start offering for Maddy Goshorn Media's Services.
Speaking of Services:
These are the bulk of what Maddy Goshorn Media offers in terms of services. However! I am open to other services in the entertainment fields. Just ask away! Unless it's offensive... in which case keep it to yourself.
Services provided by Maddy Goshorn Media
Writing
Directing
Video Editing
Audio Editing
Composing
Set Design
Voice Acting
Acting
Photography
Whether you need help with selling a house, making a trailer for your book, or need help on a passion project, I want to help you!
Please feel free to ask for assistance!