IamA (I am the Sundance winning direcor of "Alive Inside" currently making a new film about music & ALS called "Brian's Songs") AMA!

Why did they cancel Red Road?

Hmmm. Sadly it was too good for this world...

Other than AMAs, what's the best way to fund a movie?

Well, first of all, build a following on youtube! You need an audience to speak to!!! They will help you get the film in the can. You DO NOT HAVE TO FINISH your movie, just get it into the can so people can experience it. Then you can get money to finish it. Get your film to that point and contact me- I can introduce you to the people to fund it. But only if it moves people!!

For me, I make movies that try to make the world better. That way I know they deserve support. I'm not really the kind of person that can make entertainment. I would like to try again, but I did not succeed in my efforts to do that.

What is it like when one of your best friends comes down with ALS? What were the first signs? Is it hard to make a story about something you were deeply involved in personally?

It is sureal,

I really can't even believe it is happening and we are deep into it. His muscles started twitching. He started losing core strength, he was working out and stopped getting stronger. It just creeped up on him. I actually thought he was depressed and expressing it in his body. I was wrong.

It is very hard to make a story you are deeply connected to. As research, I decided to see the film, "Gleason," a film about this young football player who gets ALS. Well, half way through I had to run out of the theater. It was too much for me. I couldn't do anything for 24 hours.

It is hard. But it also gives me something. I think I am bringing him something good. It is so crazy- It makes you think- Take me in my most depressed suicidal day, take an old man in pain, take you home from work in bed with the flu- Brian would trade places with any of us- our worst day would be his best!

Sorry, getting dark, but you asked!

Not a question at all. Just letting you know that your documentary really moved me. Though I do not have, nor do I know anyone with ALS currently. But being in the medical field and also a musician, it was incredibly uplifting to see this occurring. I, at the young age of 26, correlate every moment in my life by what music I was listening to. And if there's one thing you cant take away from me, its knowing where I was when a certain song plays. I tell almost everyone I know that has a family memeber with ALS to think back to being around them and what was playing, put it on a playlist and let them listen. Gives me hope seeing the better things in life with all the negative surrounding us. Thank you.

That's a really good idea. I'm gonna try that with Brian. Go through his music and see if we can find songs connecting to the story of his past...

I could use that as a story device

What was your favorite movie from last year and your most Anticipated movie for this year?

Not sure I have a faborite but I really liked The Big Short

You?

I loved Alive Inside and it inspired me to do my senior project about music therapy! Just wondering, are you still in contact with Dan Cohen like as friends?

Funny Question!

I really worked hard to make his dreams come true. When I started on the film he was helping in 4 nursing homes, the film blew him and his nonprofit sky high- he's now in 3000 nursing homes and the film was what lifted him.

He sued me 10 days before Sundance and now he is suing me again. He is saying I can not teach the themes of my film, that I am somehow competing with him.

No good deed goes unpunished. We are no longer friends.

What was your senior project?

Ahhh I can't believe you actually responded! And wow, that's pretty harsh, didn't expect that from him.

I'm a senior at a high school in Maryland in an area where arts aren't really appreciated, so my partner and I are creating a campaign we've called Music on the Mind. It's still in the beginning phases but basically we're creating a community band along with an iPod drive for local nursing homes, particularly a hospice that's worked with the school before.

I still can't believe you actually saw this and appreciate your interest! Thanks for responding!

A clip from "Alive Inside" of Old Man in Nursing Home Reacts to Hearing Music from his Era first went viral on Reddit!

seriously, let me know how I can help you on your project.

One time, I met this woman who had deep Alzheimer's, she held my hand and asked me if I was married. I said- yes, but my wife is far away. She winked at me and started to sing. She looked in my eyes and sang like La La land! I thought it was in a musical! I gave myself permission to sing with her, to look into her eyes and sing as if I were her long lost lover. It was so amazing and beautiful I really don't know how to put it into words.

I think we've gotten too caught up in our cognitive mind, and I think there's so much wisdom in the deeper parts of our consciousness. I think music and empathy are pathways into those deeper parts, this is what I explore in my movies.

Dear Reddit,

I'm going to dinner now and will come back one last time to answer any last questions! Thanks for all the support today.

How are you recording the album of Brian's songs?

So here is the thing- Brian can not sing anymore like he used to. So we are using the tracks he made when he was writing the songs so he would not forget the songs as our vocal masters.

We are doing a live recording session with a whole band at Echo Mountian Studio on Feb. 9th- we will stream the whole thing! Brian's best friend Scott Reese is producing it.

Brian's guitar teacher Stuart Klinger is working with Grammy Award winner Steve Addabbo in NYC to prep the tracks, and do all the mixing and Mastering.

We have lots of Amazing artists who have reached out to us and want to record Brian's songs. So far-

Itaal Shur- the writer of Santana's "Smooth" with Rob Thomas is doing a song.

Lucy Woodward, both of the Darlings, Frazy Ford and the Be Good Tanyas

We have some Really big names too but they are not firm yet so I dont want to announce.

I'm a freshman in college and i feel completely lost in my life. I have no clue what I want to do yet, but all i know is that I love stories (watching, writing, reading). Ive written ideas for books or movies and have a lot in my head but I just don't know how to actually start writing. I keep getting worried about if theres a certain professional format my stories should take. So i guess my question is: How did you get started and was it a clear cut path? Were you worried about failure? And if so, how did you over come it

Please do not feel lost in life.

You hold the greatest treasure of all - you are a millionaire, owner of the greatest treasure of all- LIFE!!!!

I will tell you it is hard to get started as a writer young- you have to put in your 10,000 hours, write 100 stories before something happens- usually-

About failure- I have failed many times. I used to hate failure! Now I love failure- I race to failure because it teaches me what doesn't work, it teaches me my own foolishness!

I wrote this little article on Medium- no one has read it, but it answers your questions- STAY STRONG- LISTEN TO LIFE ITSELF- THE LIFE THAT LIVES INSIDE YOUR CHEST!!! It will guide you- seriously. This is an Amazing time to be alive! Imagine Brian could change places with you- he would, he would grab your most depressed day and run to the top of a mountian with it and ski down like a mad man!!!

https://medium.com/@michaelrossatobennett/running-through-fields-7d9540dfa2e9#.ohq9j5hbj

What do you like most about what you do?

I love that I work for myself, or rather I get to work for the common unconscious. This is what makes me happy! I get to work in the land of the dreams we do not even know we are having- that is where I like to spend my time and I have a life that lets me do it. Who knows how long it will last but it is pretty cool now. I love docs because you get to enter worlds. If I were smarter or more courageous I would probably be a busker or a surfer. (but I don't have the chops!)

what inspire you to make alive inside? how did this idea come to you? was it like one morning in the shower?

I got hired to make a website for a guy. He took me into a nursing home. It was like Dante's Inferno!

Henry was in a wheelchair, parked in the hallway. He spent every day for the last 10 years like that. We gave him some Cab Calloway and he woke up- as you may know- the clip of Henry from "Alive Inside" first went viral on Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/1h50hy/old_man_in_nursing_home_reacts_to_hearing_music/

I knew in that moment I had to make "Alive Inside"- it took me 3 years.

I agree. I even like the idea that I'm doing a nod to it!

But I do appreciate your analysis

This seems worthy of research

What motivates you?

Man, I just want to feel alive. What else?

I can't help feeling I've only got a few years left of real power- So, it's like - man, I got to do things.

For me, I've learned I want to make life bigger for myself and others. I'm lucky. The adventure with Alive Inside has been amazing- I got to wake up lots of people- give them a bigger, more musical world to live in.

https://youtu.be/9ZRkFcOreKM

With "Brian's Song" I just want to have fun with Brian- have some "important" time. Not sure how to explain it. For me, what feels good is doing good.

Hi Brian, when you wrote your songs, what where the bands that inspired you?

Townes Van Zandt Muddy Waters Guy Clark Hendrix Dylan Beatles Steve Earle Jerry Garcia John Prime Clapton and Townes Van Zandt

Do you have any directorial advice?

Yes.

Act. Write. Shovel dirt. Read. Doubt. Watch films more than once.

Don't cross the line. Unless it is cool.

What was it like touring the festival circuit? How did you get there?

OMG, the Festival circuit is so much fun! Really- I can't wait to do it again!

Do you have any advice on set control?

Not really, I am a doc filmmaker.

With docs- no babies or pets.

or crazy people. Well, you can't avoid crazy people- so no advice.

Anything to help with the fact that I always feel like a nuisance asking for favours or calling in chits? Anything like this happen to you when you first started?

You must serve people! You gotta remember your project does not matter. How you are helping the other is what allows you to ask people to help you!!!

How much work does it take to market and sell a film after it's finished?

ARRGGGHHHHH!!!!

It is harder than making a film!!! Answering the same question over and over makes you want to stab yourself with a pencil. We spent $400k on the theatrical release. We thought it was important to get the message out! It worked, we changed culture in a small way world wide, so it was cheap actually but- wow it was crazy!!!

Jesus! $400K? How did you get the money? hahaha

I know, but that is peanuts for advertising for a Theatrical Release.

I put in all the revenues from the Theatrical release- we did like $300k and also we had some profound donors who believed in our message

What was it like to win Sundance? Did you think you would win?

I did not even expect to get into Sundance! We submitted literally at the last possible second- I crammed an application into the mail slot at the 34th street Post office at exactly midnight on the last day of applications.

Just getting accepted to Sundance was like winning! I never thought we would win the Audience Award! I highly recommend it. It was amazing! Imagine, no one ever seeing the film and then having 800 people seeing it and reacting in a huge way twice a day for ten days!. Lots of cool experiences- like meeting one of the founders of Burning Man at a screening and having him say- "I was totally moved- here are two tickets to Burning Man."

It was Amazing! -can't really describe...

What does it take to be a director, and what does a director do? I have some sort of idea of what I want to do as a career, and that is to work in the movie business. I just absolutely love reading, and watching stories, and the way the maker of a film can show certain things without words, and things like that. Though I dont really know what I should get in to. I love writing and creating stories, but at the same time, I love being able to make the stories how I want them on the screen, like telling an actor how to say a line, or where to shoot the film, etc. However, at the same time I also love the filming itself in a film, like the cinematographer that works with Wes Anderson. I just dont know what I should pursue, since pursuing all of them would be exhausting and near impossible.

I know, I want to do everything too!!! This is a long journey. Find the person you want to be and work for them for one month free. If they don't hire you after that, move on. Experience as much as you can in your 20's. Don't try to be a filmmaker right away. Make 100 films on youtube. Then you will be a filmmaker!

How many scripts do i have to writer Till I write my first decent one? I am at 8 or so each one 5-9 pages long? Thanks man

Do 100

and send me the 101st

After my exames are done i'll take it up again if you keep using this account I'll pm it you in half a year or so if that is allright with you.

I'll be here forever.

You mean a new old movie? Because there is already a movie called brians song.

Yeah, I know, I was trying to be clever- this is "Brian's Songs!" not "Brian's Song"- I am doing a little bow to the past with this... It is about Brian's actual songs... not a song of Brian...

That was my thinking!

What's your new passion project about ? Loved Alive Inside.

Man, this is a film I don't want to make. Just making it because it lets me spend lots of time with my buddy. I guess it is about music, it is about how you figure out what you are living for when everything is going downhill. ALS is just a f****** curse! Trying to find the beauty in the darkness as well I guess.

Do you take time for yourself ? Documentary takes so much time to make. Now Brian's songs, before Alive Inside. You seem to be really empathetic. I have no doubt that you have a happy family.

Man, having trouble sleeping lately. Don't know how to turn off!!! I'm making 2 films right now, running Aliveinside.org , a Kickstarter!

It's crazy! are you ever coming back to NYC?

Hey man try reading a book from Thich Nhat Hanh, really great for getting your mind to quiet down.

Great advice!

I have done that before- I will try again!

Here is some unasked for advice- When you are young- you have to burn your body out before you try to quiet your mind. Seriously, IMHO, if you are young- don't try to meditate until you are completely exhausted from physical work first- You just have to do that first- then try to quiet your mind. Get exhausted-then just feel your deep self- that's all meditation is- just the process, the sensation of knowing what the deep you FEELs like! Do that and you will take the reins of your mind. It took me DECADES to learn this!!!

Well I have the advantage of starting this in my forties, I have tried to get my sixteen year old daughter to read the Art of Communication to try and get her to quiet her mind and take some time away from her iPhone and being connected. Just left Sundance and spent stayed with a legit hip hop star and he and his wife are working on TM. You work really hard and then you start to wonder why, divorce, stress etc... and you look around out how messed up everyone is so you try and find something that makes sense....

Yeah man, it's really interesting journey this thing called life. And the twist of it all is the truth of it is nothing like what "they" say it is! 40 is a great time to master this stuff, actually it's about the time most people do.