A Year Later: DVDs, Publicity and Social Networking!

DVD Transport

DVD Loading

This past year has been a very slow and patient crawl towards finishing the DVDs. Many have asked where their copy is and, unfortunately, all I could do was say "be patient, it's coming. For now just watch the online version." Now we have the DVDs and are currently sending them to rehab centers across the country. Next, the discs will go out to all of those who donated their time to participate in the production. The remaining discs will be selectively distributed. As far as producing more DVDs, that's a bit tricky. We only have enough funds to produce a finite number of discs. Once those discs are gone... they're gone. Sort of like Disney's movies: "Get them before they disappear!" Of course Disney always brings them back. We don't have that option. At least not right now. And we never wanted or want to turn this film into a money making venture. So, now we're going back to the drawing board to determine if we can provide made to order DVDs, at cost. Ideally, we want people to be able to go to a site, order a copy of the film and have it produced and delivered all at a very low cost. Until that happens, be patient... and please watch the FREE online version here. Option B: Order copies by calling: 801-581-2334 or sending an email: continuefilm@gmail.com

Speaking of the online version, we've now passed the 5000 views mark. Which is fairly good. Not as good as the Star Wars kid video, but good nevertheless. It should also be noted that only 26 people "like" our film, according to Vimeo. This is great news. My expectations have been exceeded! The online version is also presented in HD, so if you have a good internet connection, you'll be able to see every blemish and pore on the faces of the film's stars.

In other news, "Continue" has been getting some great coverage in several magazines, Including PN (Paraplegia News) and S'NS (Sports 'N Spokes). The Canadian publication Abilities featured a fantastic two-page, center spread review of the film... my first experience being a centerfold. 

Finally, you can now "like" our film on the official "Continue" Facebook page (pictured below). The page will offer updates on the film and even give you the chance to start a healthy "liking" competition between Facebook's "Continue" page and Vimeo's. "I'll see your 26 and raise ya!"

Okay, I think that about covers it for this post. Sorry it's taken nearly a year to update. Coming up next: A new project?

Viva Las Continue!

On Tuesday, September 21, 2010 I flew down to Vegas for the Annual Meeting of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals. A new conference that assembles the best of the best from the world of spinal cord medicine, rehabilitation and adaptive equipment. This was the perfect place to promote and begin distributing our film "continue".

Wednesday morning, I met Jeff Rosenbluth at our booth. We assembled the 50-inch television that Jeff hauled from Salt Lake and set it up at our booth. This would be the centerpiece of our exhibit.

Around 11:30, Our DVDs arrived, hot off the press. I was concerned that there would be a delay, but Oasis, the company that produced our discs and packaging, delivered on time. 1000 DVDs, ready to be distributed and delivered by this guy.

The packaging turned out amazingly well. Everything from the print colors to the quality of paper used. Both Jeff and I were very pleased with the final result. Very nice.

The biggest surprise at the conference was my friend and one of the stars of "continue", Muffy Davis. I was finally able to give her a DVD of the project. Muffy and her husband Jeff are featured in the film's alpine skiing sequence. It was great to catch up and chat about potential future projects.

So, what's next for "continue"? In the weeks and months ahead, Jeff and I will begin delivering copies of the film to rehab facilities and other adaptive recreation/sport organizations across the country. We will also be sending the DVDs to the film's stars, crew and anyone who helped make the project a reality.  In addition to distribution, we will also be doing everything we can to get publicity in publications such as "Sports N Spokes", "Paraplegia News" and other magazines and websites that focus on disability and spinal cord injury. Our journey is complete as far as the film's production is concerned. Now we just want to focus on spreading our production far and wide.

Distribution... Finally!

For the past month and a half, I've been working on the marketing and packaging design for "continue". Levi Lebo, a local designer, has done an amazing job creating imagery that compliments our film. I'm extremely pleased with Levi's work. And also thank him for being patient with Jeff and I.

After weeks of hard work and several design revisions, Levi, Jeff and I finally completed the DVD packaging design. Last week we sent the image files to a DVD publishing company to have 1000 copies created for The 2010 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Spinal Cord Professionals, an upcoming conference in Las Vegas. Jeff and I will be heading down to promote the film on September 22 - 24 and hand out free copies of the DVD to conference goers. When we return, we will begin distributing the DVDs to rehab facilities accross the United States and elsewhere. We will also be delivering DVDs to the cast and crew who helped make the film possible.

Yes, it's taken a while to get the DVDs created. Several have sent me threatening messages, indicating that their patience has expired. I do apologize. However, in my (and Jeff's) defense, we wanted to make sure that the quality of the marketing/packaging materials was nothing less than outstanding. Why spend seven years on a production, just to slap something together in photoshop.

Currently, as I write this post, the DVDs are being pressed and finalized. They will be delivered to our Vegas destination, just in time for the conference. We will screen the film at our booth and talk about our production with those who work in the SCI industry. I'm excited to finally have a finished product. This final step marks the end of a very long and enjoyable journey.

Access Utah Network Interview - 9/9/2010

Here is an interview I did with Mark Smith and the Access Utah Network. Access Utah Network provides resources for those with disabilities. Mark and I chatted about "Continue" and other topics.

Movie Night at Jordan Commons

On Wednesday, May 12th, Jordan Commons Megaplex Theater hosted a fundraising dinner and movie night to bennefit Neuroworx. Neuroworx is a local physical therapy clinic dedicated to providing groundbreaking, activity-based therapy to individuals with paralysis from spinal cord injuries and disease. All proceeds from the screening went to Neuroworx.

For me, it was an honor having "Continue" selected as one of the films for the event. Alongside "The Men", a classic film featuring Marlon Brando in his first film role.



Prior to the film, guests had the option of purchasing an affordable pasta dinner. A ticket purchase also came with free treats.


It was a wonderful evening and the turnout was fantastic. Seeing "Continue" projected in a legitimate movie theater was also alot of fun. Although, it would have been nice to consult the projectionist beforehand. He/She accidentally projected both "The Men" and "Continue" in the wrong aspect ratios. "The Men" was projected at 1:85:1 instead of 1:33:1 and "Continue" was projected at 2:35:1 rather than 1:85:1. This gave both films and overly "stretched" look. Regardless, both films looked great on the big screen. And what an honor to be a part of such a great organization and it's fundraising efforts.

First Review - Disaboom

Here is the first review of "Continue", written by Kerry Laird for Disaboom:

Though it may not be common knowledge among the masses, most of us who have been there know that a spinal cord injury does not mean “end of life.” Stan Clawson, the director of the adaptive sports film Continue, offers a window into the world of possibilities open to people with spinal cord injury, possibilities that include bone-crushing martial arts, head-bobbing river tours and enough self-fulfillment to last a lifetime.

Continue features nearly 30 team and individual adaptive sports and indoor and outdoor activities for wheelchair and non-wheelchair users. Not since Mark Wellman’s No Barriers has a post-spinal cord injury film promised to “rehabilitate” the mind like Continue. While its main audience will be those with spinal cord injuries and their supporters, Clawson’s Continue has the potential to alter nondisabled people’s preconceived notions of wheelchair users and their quality of life.

“This is the film I wish I’d seen during my post-injury rehabilitation,” says Clawson, who sustained his paralyzing spinal cord injury during a rock-climbing accident. “We are making this film available to everyone free of charge,” continues Clawson. “Anyone will be able to watch [Continue] and download this film from the internet… to show them that life can continue following a severe injury and that paralysis is not a life sentence.”

Sans dialogue, Continue allows viewers to focus on the experiences on the screen. Produced by Jeffrey Rosenbluth, the film showcases the latest equipment for the slopes, the seas and the mountains, just to name a few. While the equipment may be high-priced, the freedom of mobility and exhilaration experienced by the film’s athletes remain irresistibly free.

With locations in Belize, California, Utah and Idaho, superb shots and seamless editing make Continue a joy to experience. Its cinematic-quality production will conjure wafts of buttered popcorn and the fizz of overpriced sodas to the comforts of your own couch. However, sitting though Continue encourages even the most fervent of couch potatoes to explore the available opportunities presented in Clawson and Rosenbluth’s vision.

Whether its paras ocean dancing in the midst of a nurse shark feeding frenzy or quads pounding the boards in search of the next score, Continue does not focus primarily on cream-of-the-crop athletes like other SCI-related sports films. It also highlights sports enthusiasts with no other inclination than to enjoy fresh air and a blood-pumping jaunt.

Viewers learn what is possible right now with the right equipment… and a doctor’s clearance, of course. Activities for paraplegics and quadriplegics alike appear with the funkadelic reggae-rock soundtrack. If you can use a sip and puff, Clawson confirms you can race down a ski slope, via a computer-generated model.

While the music periodically borders on maudlin, the awe-inspiring landscape that drapes the background reflects the audacity of the anonymous characters that carve, crank and careen their way along snowy ledges, dirt trails and raging rivers.

Anonymity, in fact, aligns Clawson’s Continue with an egalitarian spirit. The people in the short film – Continue runs under 30 minutes – reflect reality by offering a cross-cultural representation of the spinal cord injury community. Though different in color, culture, faith and fundamentals, it is the experience of spinal cord injury that unites this disparate group, and Continue is what they do.

Continue

continue from Jeffrey Rosenbluth on Vimeo.