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JULY 7, 2009 Hey guys, Heads up! We have a new official trailer for Marbles, edited by professional trailer editor Julia Alty. We've entered 9 different film festivals so far, in cities like Los Angeles, Ojai, Birmingham, Boston, Indianapolis, Chicago, San Diego, and Austin. Now we're waiting to find out which ones we get accepted into. We're excited about moving into the next phase in the process: finding distribution for the short and getting the feature script off the ground. Thanks for your donations toward that end. So far we've raised $2,600 toward our goal. That's awesome; we're about 20% of the way there with a couple months to go. Of course to every good story there's a little drama. Here's the thing. Without your support we won't be able to submit a script as promised to Reel Life Media. During the time that the script is being written, this is Melody's sole source of income and so consequently, scriptwriting can't actually begin until all of the funding is in place. Little bits count and little bits help. $10 or $20 from a lot of people goes a long way toward reaching this goal. We've come to that part of the story where every marble counts. Keep in mind your contributions are tax deductible. Would you mind passing this along to your friends and becoming a part of our team? Donate online here: www.marbleswiththoreau.com/reellife.html And check out our new trailer here: www.marbleswiththoreau.com/trailer.html With your support we'll be able to submit a finished script to Reel Life Media and further this work of creating quality, uplifting entertainment and transforming Hollywood from the inside out. Lennox Fleary

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MAY 14, 2009 Newsletter #12 - Feature on the horizon? Hi, this is Lennox. I'm very excited to share news about developing opportunities for Marbles. Remember Reel Life Media, the production company that facilitated our audio remix at Disney? Well, they've expressed some interest in producing the feature-length version of Marbles, potentially as early as next year. Allen Taylor of Reel Life Media asked our permission to show the Short to a few people at Disney Studios. It was well received; in fact, Allen tells us there has been a fair bit of buzz. Though no commitments have been made of course, we see potential for collaboration with RLM to shoot the feature independently next year, in hopes of securing distribution further down the road. Before we can pursue that conversation, Reel Life Media needs to see a completed version of the screenplay. Two things need to happen. 1) We need to pay off remaining costs on the short. 2) We need to give Melody four months to write full time. Here's how you can help. You can make a donation directly to Reel Life Media. All proceeds go directly to pay off the short film and facilitate the feature script. (All donations are tax-deductible) It's been a huge honor and amazing experience for me to work with someone of Melody's talent and vision. I believe in this project and I'm inviting you to participate in sharing a much-needed message about what's really important in life. Thanks for your support! Lennox

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MAY 10, 2009 - MARBLES BECOMES A FEATURE FILM? Big news! Reel Life Media has expressed interest in producing the feature-length version of Marbles with Thoreau! First step is to get a finished script on the table so we can begin negotiations...

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APRIL 23, 2009 - DISNEYFIED! As if things weren't already cool enough -- I got to spend a day at the Disney Studios in Burbank watching Sound Designer Robert Sephton and Mixer David Fluhr re-master the audio for Marbles! Still asking myself how all of this happened, but here's the story. We finished the movie on March 20, or at least we thought we did. It quickly became apparent the audio was still having issues. Tanya Musgrave and Derek Taylor, both students at Southern, had the near-impossible task of taking our messy production audio and matching it to the re-looped dialogue -- no small feat. They did an incredible job, but despite all their work we realized we still needed some professional fine-tuning done. We gritted our teeth and started thinking about how to raise another $1000 to hire someone. Along comes Reel Life Media, a Christian production company here in L.A. They watched Marbles and saw our problem. Allen Taylor (one of the founders of Reel Life, who also works at Disney) spoke with Robert Sephton and... Long story short, on April 9 I drove down to the Disney Studios on Buena Vista St. in Burbank, went through security, and ended up on Stage A watching Robert and David remix the entire movie. This experience for me was right up there with watching the orchestra record Brian Mann's score. At Disney, I got to watch Marbles on a theater screen for the first time, and listen to the soundtrack on a theater sound system. Rob and David were AMAZING, and so generous in donating their entire day to get the audio up to par and create a 5.1 surround-sound mix. I'm told this process usually costs $1000 per hour, and they spent at least 10 hours, volunteering their time. Their supervisors, Gil and Jeff, allowed the use of the facility... all without costing us a cent. At the end of the day, around 6:00pm, we watched the movie all the way through. Again it brought tears to my eyes to think how God has provided through every step of this journey. I'm amazed. We got the audio finished just in time to premiere Marbles at the SONscreen Film Festival in Simi Valley this past weekend. I always saw Marbles as a small stepping stone toward a much bigger future here in Hollywood. I don't just mean a future career. I mean a life work and ministry. I believe God is calling people to come live and work in this town, to tell redemptive stories, to do quality work, and to live with integrity. It's a massive work he's doing and it's fun to watch it unfold, and even to participate in it. Keep praying for us filmmakers! As you are well aware: what comes out of Hollywood has a huge influence in the world. Looking forward to seeing what happens with Marbles next. Thanks for all your support, Melody George

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MARCH 13, 2009 - WOOHOOS ALL ROUND Hey everyone, It's been awhile, hasn't it? I have lots to catch you up on, but long story short... we're mastering the movie next week! Post production has certainly taken longer than I would have imagined. We shot the film last May, so it's taken almost 10 months for editing, music composition, orchestration, and recording, pickup shots, ADR, sound design, and color correction to wrap up. We're putting on the finishing touches, slapping on the credits, and mastering to DVD next week! I want to give a shout out to Tanya Musgrave, Derek Taylor, and Bryan Fowler, who have somehow made time over the last three months to work on sound design and color correction. For a film that's only 15 minutes long, it's been a huge endeavor amidst plenty of other huge endeavors, and the film is all the better for their creative input and long hours of work. And I'm all the more blessed for getting to work with them. So, the big question: How'd it turn out? I guess you'll all have to decide that for yourselves, but I can at least tell you that it brings tears to my eyes almost every time I watch it, as I remember all of the miraculous things that happened to create such a beautiful piece of art. I look back over the whole process... spending that week early in 2008 wrestling in prayer to discern if this was really something God was calling us to do. Buying plane tickets to Tennessee on faith when we didn't yet have the full budget in hand. Watching the money come in at the last minute, when we were already in Tennessee getting ready to shoot. Knowing it was forecast to rain throughout the week, and then watching the weather be perfectly taylored to whatever scene we were shooting. Getting to experience Brian Mann's incredible score being recorded in Houston with full orchestra... something which should have cost us, we've estimated, more than $50,000. The bill came to $1200. To me, these are examples of God's miraculous provision, of his ability and willingness to multiply the loaves and fishes, if we will but seek his will and work for his glory. Why he chose to bless this project in such a way, I have yet to understand. What his full purpose is for it, I have yet to know. But pray with me for opportunities to share both the message of the film and the story of its making. What happens now? Nathan Nazario and Rik Swartzwelder put together a list of festivals for us to enter, so we'll be hitting the festival circuit starting in April. We're also pursuing distribution through academic suppliers so Marbles can be used as a teaching aid in schools. So the work definitely isn't over yet. Press kits and graphic design and entry applications and marketing yet to come. How can you see it? That's a good question. I'm not totally sure yet. We'll be screening it at the Sonscreen Film Festival this April in Simi Valley, so come to the festival if you can! Beyond that, I'll keep you posted when we've found a distributor. Alright, ya'll. Back to work for me. Many blessings, Melody "Oh Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise."

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OCTOBER 3, 2008 - MARBLES FEATURED IN VARIETY MAGAZINE Variety Magazine's Youth Impact Report came out on October 3, and Superior Talent Agency featured several of their kids, including Skylar and her work in Marbles! Go Skylar, woot woot!

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OCTOBER 1, 2008 - HOUSTON, WE HAVE AN ORCHESTRA! Brian Mann, our composer, talked with the director of an elite performing arts school in Houston, and... to make a long story short... we have a 60-piece orchestra performing the score (!!!!!) The HSPVA symphony kids (aged 13 - 18) will be recording the score in Houston on November 2. Check them out on Youtube:

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JULY 26, 2008 - DIAMOND IN THE ROUGHCUT, TEEHEE! Howdy! I just got back from yet another trip to Tennessee. My brother Robin sequestered himself in Brock Hall during the month of June to put together the rough cut, and I spent the last couple weeks out there, helping him polish it off. And it looks amazing! I'm still pinching myself to make sure its for real. As our composer, Brian Mann, put it -- "God was just showing off" with this one. We screened it to a few people and it was a relief to find that only minor changes were needed. Overall, the story flows and the themes are coming across. So, editing is virtually complete. We now move into sound design, ADR (dialogue looping), and scoring. (Brian has already started composing the main themes.) From there, we move into color correction, conform, and effects. We should have a finished film in October. Here are a few links you might want to check out: New Trailer Behind the scenes photos Don't stop praying for us yet! We're still raising funds to finish off Post. Also, God did some amazing things during production and we're praying for outlets to share that story. And of course, we're praying that when the film is done, the Holy Spirit will speak through it wherever it is screened. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Blessings, Melody

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MAY 23, 2008 - THAT'S A WRAP! Hey ya'll, I just got back to CA on Tuesday night, and spent the last couple days mostly sleeping and reviving. But I've been dying to tell you all how it went! So you know that verse, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"? Yeah. There's somethin' to that. For the last few weeks it's been one wild ride of 18 hour work days and sleepless nights and intense prayer sessions at ungodly hours . . . but the Lord has blessed beyond what I could have even thought to ask for. We arrived in TN with about 1 week to finish all prep, and 1 week to shoot. That first week we made a pretty huge script change. Rather than having the kids discover Thoreau at an abandoned Ruin, we opted to build an actual replica of Thoreau's cabin (the one at Walden Pond in MA). I immediately latched onto this idea because it's more historically accurate, and I liked what it did to the story and Thoreau's character. Not to mention, it allowed us to keep all of our locations within a 10 mile radius of Collegedale. However, this put a pretty huge burden on Zach Gray (Production Designer) and the Art Crew, as it meant they would have to build two pretty elaborate sets from the ground up, in less than 2 weeks (Thoreau's cabin and the Shanty town where the kids live). We found our locations, the Art dept started working 10 - 12 hours a day, and thanks to them we had our sets done just in time to shoot. During that prep week, we also had to figure out our camera situation. We had been planning to use the RED Camera (a hi def pro camera the whole industry is talking about, worth around 30K), when the rental rate jumped from $2500 to $5K for the week. With our total budget being $10 grand, that was completely unfeasible. Last minute, Bryan Fowler (Steadicam Operator) put out feelers to see if we could rent it elsewhere . . . and miraculously found someone who was willing to ship it to us for the week. We got it for seven days for $1K. I would say this one thing probably had the most influence on the production value of the film. It would have been a different film altogether if we had settled for the HVX-200 (a great camera, but not nearly the quality of the RED). Another thing - we needed a couple terabytes worth of hard drive space to store the footage as we shot, and didn't know how to squeeze it into the budget. Best Buy donated a harddrive at the very last minute, saving us about $600. By then we were only a couple days away from the first day of shooting on Sunday, May 16. Nick Livanos (First AD) and I scheduled out all the scenes and realized we needed every last minute of our 6 shooting days. We tried to come up with a plan B in case of bad weather, but realized there was just no leeway to reschedule anything. We were locked into schedule because of the dates our actors were flying in and out. We could shoot in the rain if need be, but really, conceptually, it just wouldn't work. For a story in which Nature is just as much a character as any of the actors, we needed beautiful weather for the story to make sense. For example, in one scene, the kids are practically raptured away from their problems by the beauty of nature -- it just wouldn't work on a dark, rainy day. Yet we were locked into our schedule so tightly that if it did rain, we would simply have to shoot. It was really gonna come down to praying for and accepting God's will. And as the week of prep came to an end, and the weekend rolled around, it was forecast to rain on the first day of the shoot, and on-and-off throughout the week. Saturday - the last day before the shoot - I spent a lot of time in prayer. The weather situation tried my faith more than anything else. When I sat down and opened my Bible, it opened directly to Job. "Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Have you seen or entered the storehouses of the snow, or seen the storehouses of the hail... Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in in it? Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are?' Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? Then Job replied to the Lord: I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." (ch. 38, 42) I just had to get to a place of knowing that our only end was God's glory, and that he is able to glorify himself just as much through a rainy and seemingly unsuccessful film shoot as through a perfectly sunny and seemingly successful one, if only we would trust and praise him throughout. So we committed to doing that, and praised him in advance for whatever was about to happen. That being said, I really really REALLY wanted sunny weather. It was funny because as I was reading through Job that day, the radio was on and every twenty minutes would faithfully announce, "Showers tomorrow, bla bla bla..." Saturday night: Lennox, Leslie, Chris, Nick, and I all got together to pray. As we were sitting on the sidewalk outside Brock Hall at midnight, talking, it started to rain on us. When we started praying, it stopped. That night as I tried to sleep I could hear it thundering and pouring rain, but by God's grace I wasn't worried. I got up at 6am and it was bright and sunny. And it stayed that way the entire day. We shot for 12 or 13 hours, and at the end of the day David (Director of Photography) said it was one of the most successful days of shooting he'd ever had. For the next 5 days the weather was miraculously taylored to whatever scene we were shooting. It was windy for the scenes I envisioned as moody and dramatic. It was sunny when we needed really beautiful nature footage. There were little white floaties blowing through in the backround for scenes that needed to be magical. Overcast when we needed even, gray lighting. And the one scene we could have used rain for - the dreary scene in the slums - it rained consistently throughout the day. And the footage we got blows my mind. (Check out the stills.) At the end of the shoot, Nick said the only reason this movie turned out was because of how much prayer went into it, and I agree. Our prayer was that he would be glorified. And I believe we would be praising him now even if things had gone differently. I believe that he is able to be glorified in ways we don't always understand. He is good. I find myself more and more in love with him all the time, not only for miraculously providing, but for trying and testing me, for pulling me ever closer. It's all about the journey of learning to walk on water. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the fantastic group of people who created this amazing work of art: Producer's Unit Producer Lennox Fleary Line Producer Leslie Foster Assistant Producer Kristine Barker Nathan Abbott Key PA Suzanne Palanuk Adam Buck Theo Brown Director's Unit Director Melody George First Assistant Director Nick Livanos Script Supervisor Sahale Jensen Storyboard Artist Robin George Camera Department Director of Photography David George First AC Nathan Dewild Sahale Jensen Second AC Derek Taylor Steadicam Operator Bryan Fowler Video Assist Marla Seasly Grip/Lighting Departments Key Grip Leif Ramsay Grip Robin George Grip Kevin Kline Gaffer Nick Evenson Grip/Electric Ben Norskov Grip/Electric Cory Maracle Art Department Production Designer Zach Gray Set Dresser Ame Fowler Art Crew Sean Amlaner Frescania Taitague Sahale Jensen Stephen Dawson Adam Buck Jill Schaeffer Props Erin Pennington Swing Gang Stephen Dawson Jill Schafer Costume Designer Sven Christensen Wardrobe/Makeup/Hair Heather Dappolonia Makeup/Hair Heather Dappolonia Concept Artists Robin George Donnie Lindsey Sound Department Sound Mixer Derek Armitage Boom Operator Matt Taylor Behind-the-Scenes Documentarian Rebecca Burishkin Thank you for praying with us through this journey. Thank you to all those who contributed funds to make it possible. Thank you to Carlye, Skylar's mom, for contributing so much to make the film possible! And Isla, our Nanny-on-set, for planning the wrap party! Thank you to the prayer team . . . Don't stop quite yet! We're now moving into post production and raising additional funds to finish the film. We expect to have a finished movie for you to watch around September!! Glory to God, Melody

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APRIL 28, 2008 - NEWSLETTER #6 - CAN A SAINT SLANDER GOD? Hi everyone, Time flies -- and so do we, this Wednesday in fact. Next week is our final week of prep in Tennessee before we launch into Production on May 11. Aaaaaahhh!!!! We want to welcome two new cast members to the team: Anders Fillman as Ace and Josie Gammell (from Girl, Interrupted) as the Mother. We now have a complete cast, woohoo! The Illustrious Cast Last week, we flew Anders out from Chattanooga to spend some time getting to know the rest of the cast here in LA (important before we actually show up on set to shoot). On Friday, Chris, Skylar, Anders and I all went to Disneyland (it was, in a word... hot... but really fun). Anders and Skylar look uncannily similar as brother and sister. And they make a great team... especially when it comes to pouring ice down Chris's back. While Anders was here we also had our first rehearsal, and I got slightly giddy seeing all the characters finally come to life. Disneyland, aka, Anders' audition! So things are going well. However, last week was a tough week in the Faith department. Things go wrong on any shoot, so I was expecting obstacles. They hit last week in succession. Our camera rental rate jumped from $2K to $5K (unaffordable). We lost the Barnsley Gardens Ruin as our primary shooting location. The Screen Actors Guild informed us of additonal expenses we had not budgeted for, around $2K. And we lost one of our core team members to due to personal and creative differences. In the midst of these kind of setbacks, you have to fall back on the call you initially heard from God. Do I believe that God called us to make this film? Do I believe that his hand is on it, guiding us? Do I believe that HE is the originator of and creative visionary behind this film, and that I am only a partner in the telling of this redemptive story? These are not naive, rhetorical platitudes. It would be pretty bold to answer any of these questions with a "Yes." For me, it took a week of wrestling in prayer way back when we were first moving into serious pre-production. But the answer I reached was "Yes, I believe these things." I believe that we were called to this ministry at this time, that God can use this process to draw people to him, and that Marbles is the training ground for a greater ministry in the film industry in the future. So if I truly do believe these things - if I correctly discerned the Holy Spirit - then I can trust, when these obstacles hit, that God will in some way provide (usually at the last possible moment... thanks, Lord). Oswald Chambers asks, "Can A Saint Slander God?" "We must not measure our spiritual capacity by education or by intellect [or talent or finances; our capacity in spiritual things is measured by the promises of God. If we get less than God wants us to have, before long we will slander Him as the servant slandered his master: 'You expect more than you give me power to do; you demand too much of me, I cannot stand true to you where I am placed.' When it is a question of God's almighty Spirit, never say 'I can't.' If we have received the Holy Spirit, God expects the work of the Holy Spirit to be manifested in us. The servant justified himself in everything he did and condemned his lord on every point -- 'Your demand is out of all proportion with what you give.' Have we been slandering God by daring to worry when He has said: 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you'? Worrying means exactly what this servant implied -- 'I know you mean to leave me in the lurch.' Never forget that our capacity in spiritual matters is measured by the promises of God. Is God able to fulfill His promises? Our answer depends on whether we have received the Holy Spirit." (My Utmost for His Highest) We're still working on the camera situation, but we have a backup plan. We scrambled to find a new location, and are now deciding between a couple different options. Yesterday, we were able to clarify our agreement with SAG, allowing us to stay in budget. We found new hands to take on the role that was left empty, and God is already working to restore wounded relationships. Alternative ruins location: the Airdrie Ironworks in Kentucky It is the process, and not just the end result that is glorifying to God. So we commit to trusting him, refuse to slander his name by doubting a call we clearly heard, and pray that "many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord." You probably won't hear from me again till after the shoot! Until then, continue to pray for our team. Glory to God, Melody

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FEBRUARY 28, 2008 - NEWSLETTER #5 - CASTING & FUNDRAISING Hi everyone! A couple of quick updates, and one huge prayer request! Tonight Thomas, Chris, and I got together to nail down shoot dates and shedule our flights out to Chattanooga. It's still hard for me to believe we're at this point! Last week, the admin @ Southern Adventist University approved our proposal. This means we'll be collaborating with the film school to produce the movie, providing freshman students with the opportunity to gain experience on set, and giving us access to many of the resources available at the school. This week, we're contacting the owners of the Barnsley Gardens resort in Georgia to obtain permission to film (prayers, please!). And next week we're holding auditions here in Los Angeles. What we need major prayer for is this: Next Tuesday (March 4) is when the Endowment Fund Committee will decide whether we get the grant we applied for. If the answer is yes, we will be fully funded to shoot the full script. If the answer is no, we will proceed with a shorter version. We would of course love to achieve the length and production value we've been envisioning all along. But either way, our goal is to produce the best possible film with the resources we have. Please pray for us over the next week. Thank you again for all your support!! I'm attaching photos of a few of the kids we're auditioning. Blessings, Melody

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JANUARY 29, 2008 - NEWSLETTER #4 - MARBLES GREENLIT Hello All! Thomas and I are pleased to announce that Marbles with Thoreau has officially been GREENLIT. We've raised enough funds at this point to produce a shortened version of the film. We plan to continue fundraising until March in hopes of shooting the full, un-amended version this May. But at this point we're committed to moving forward to create the best film we can with the resources we have. THANK YOU to all those who have donated to make this possible! If you have pledged support, now is the time to send in those donations. Scott Fogg has recently come on board as Associate Producer and location scouting continues in Chattanooga under his direction. Zach Gray has begun preliminary concept sketches for set design (check out the attached photos). The search for two talented young actors to play the lead roles of Ace and Eva Calloway continues. Also, we're in talks with the administration at Southern Adventist University. We've proposed a collaboration that would create an opportunity for current film students to get some on-set experience, while allowing us to make use of the school's equipment and other resources. We are thrilled to have reached this point and are so thankful to each one of you for making it possible! We ask for your continued prayers. Best, Melody George Director, Marbles with Thoreau www.marbleswiththoreau.com

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NOVEMBER 27, 2007 - NEWSLETTER #3 - THOREAU CAST

Hello all! I hope this email finds you well. So much has happened in the last few weeks, I thought it was high time for another update. The biggest piece of news is that the role of Thoreau has been cast! Thomas and I are thrilled to welcome CHRIS ACKERMAN to the team. I think we knew from the first audition that Chris was the one; He was able to capture the whimsical eccentricity of the young philosopher with an energy and a presence that is essential to the role. Chris played the character of "Tattoo" in the movie ELEKTRA with Jennifer Garner, and is currently studying under the man who coached Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ). Combine Chris's level of talent with a long-standing love of Thoreau's work, a passion for the message we're trying to communicate, and an absolute commitment to living for God in the industry, and well... we had our man!

Chris Ackerman

Chris was lifting this project up in prayer even before we invited him to audition. Chris, welcome to the team! The second piece of news is that we recently returned from a location scouting trip to Tennessee and Georgia. Because Thomas and I had already flown into the area to shoot another video, we were able to spend several days scouting without spending a single dollar out of the Marbles budget! I've attached a few pictures of a location we're considering for the ever-elusive "Ruins" set. The Barnsley Gardens Resort in Adairsville, Georgia comes closest, so far, to what I picture in my head for Thoreau's hideout. The Chattanooga film commission is currently researching the availability of this 1850s mansion. We absolutely depend on your prayers through each one of these stages, as we move toward our shoot dates in May of 2008. Only if the Holy Spirit's presence is infused into every aspect of this production will it accomplish its purpose. Specifically, we need prayer that God will guide us to investors and collaborators who are committed to the mission of the film. The website is being updated continually, so stop by often! Blessings! Melody George, Director The Barnsley Gardens Ruin in Adairsville, GA; Our favored location for Thoreau's hideout

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AUGUST 17, 2007 - NEWSLETTER #2 - SEARCHING FOR H.D. THOREAU Hello All! You're receiving this email if you've either donated or committed to donating funds to the short film, "Marbles with Thoreau." We appreciate your support and want to keep you in the loop about how things are progressing. The most recent development is that we are nearing the end of casting for the role of Thoreau. We're faced with the problem of choosing between two very strong actors - Dan Nichols and Chris Ackerman. It's a good problem to have. Next week we're doing callbacks for both actors. "Callbacks" are second the round of auditions, usually done after the pool of potential actors has been narrowed down significantly. We'll audition both Chris and Dan again, this time going more in-depth into the character. Each of them has a very distinct interpretation. It's just a matter of deciding which interpretation better serves the story. We should reach a decision within a two or three weeks. I've attached photos just to give you a visual. Next week we launch into the process of casting the kids - the characters of Ace and Eva Calloway. Once again, please feel free to contact us with any questions you have regarding anything from finances and scheduling to script and casting. And please remember to keep us in your prayers. Thanks for making this all possible! Sincerely, Melody George Director, Marbles with Thoreau www.marbleswiththoreau.com Chris Ackerman Dan Nichols

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JULY 3, 2007 - NEWSLETTER #1 - UPDATES Hello All, Welcome to the first official "Marbles" newsletter! You're receiving this email if you've either donated or committed to donating funds to the project. We want to keep you in the loop about how things are progressing. The first update is in regards to the adjustment of our shooting schedule. Last week we spoke with David George at Southern's filmschool, and collectively decided that it would be best to set our shoot dates to follow graduation in May of 2008. Though we'd been hoping to shoot this August, waiting is advantageous in many ways: Students will still be in the area immediately after school gets out. We'll have additional time to hold auditions, book our actors well in advance, and start rehearsals in LA long before the shoot. We'll have more time to scout for the best possible locations (which we plan to do this August), and book them in advance as well. Our proposal to Southern's board has time to go through without being rushed, and we'll be able to involve more students throughout the school year. And of course, we'll have time to complete 100% of our fundraising before we go into production. Thanks to all of you, we're already halfway there! We appreciate your support so much. Thanks to everyone who's already sent in their checks. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. Sincerely, Melody George, Director