Part 1

Part 2

The majority of my time lately has been devoted to fundraising and writing (two things that don’t go very well together by the way). To my surprise, the fundraising has been coming along steadily. I should reach my first 25% of the budget by the end of December. For my other job, scriptwriting has been less successful. I would like to address a few of my issues in the hope that writing them down with offer me some perspective to fix the problems. As always, I am open to any recommendations or advise from those reading this article.

My main issues are as follows:

-Trying to make the story be directly about promoting veganism. The subject matter always comes off as being preachy if I am too direct about the issue. Or, if any of the tenets of veganism are included subtlety, they appear un-necessary.
-Trying to please too many people by making the story universal and not offend non-vegans.
-Trying to make an incredible/innovative story from the outset of the process. This only creates writers block for me.

These were all the same problems I had when coming up with the idea and script for Vegan Love (further explanation). I am adamant about not repeating the mistakes from that shoot, so I have decided to make some slight alterations in the way that I approach the story development of my feature film.

Here are a few of my ideas for a solution to the problem:

-From now on, I would like to take a more liberal approach to the script writing.
I will not restrict myself to including vegan themes or situations in the script. That doesn’t mean I will be changing the name of this blog anytime soon! I just need to concentrate on writing about what I feel is most interesting and compelling to myself regardless of context. If I am not enthralled by the idea, I doubt anyone else will be either…vegan or not.

-From now on, I will be taking a much more personal approach to the script writing.
Every writer draws on their own life’s experiences in developing a script. As a vegan for 8+ years now, I have my own set of experiences and perspectives that I am sure people will find much more engaging than something generic. I also feel that my perspective on life is firmly entrenched in a vegan philosophy…meaning the advocacy will naturally come out in anything I write. I don’t need to force it. A personal approach doesn’t just have to do with writing about my own experiences in life, it also has to do with personal expression. An essential and obvious ingredient to filmmaking that I have neglected to address most of my artistic life.

-Hold off on writing entirely until I reach my initial goal for the budget. I think that I will be more efficient in both fund-raising and script writing if I focus on each area separately. I will concentrate fully in fund-raising until the end of December then switch to focus on the script writing for 1-3 months and then switch back to fundraising until I have a completed script and budget in place to shoot the film.

This may all seem like more generalizations and common sense, but they are things that I easy forget if I am not constantly reminded of them. I will let you know how these new approaches pan out.

Vegan Love (HD) from veganfilmmaker on Vimeo.

So, I’ve just returned from my trip Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the 12^th International Vegan Festival with no jetlag, sunburns, or hangovers. May sound like a pretty uneventful trip, but I had a great time! The purpose for attending the festival was to show my short film “Vegan Love” along with a little speech about my approach to vegan advocacy with filmmaking.

I did have great Portuguese subtitles for the film with the help of Beatriz Medina from the SVB (the Brazilian vegan association). However, as the concept and humor in my film are very English in nature, I was a bit concerned about how the film would be received with the language and culture gap.

To my surprise, most of the audience laughed in the right parts and many even came up to me afterwards to tell me how much they enjoyed the film. The icing on the vegan cake was when someone told me that watching the film had reinforced their vegan lifestyle by being able to associate with the

main character. In hindsight, I would say that the trip had also reinforced my passion and drive for vegan advocacy by seeing firsthand how large the movement is becoming around the world.

It was a very uplifting moment to see that my film was having a positive impact

with vegans on the otherside of the planet. I have taken that positive momentum with me and am now back in the US and back at work on developing my feature length film.

In all, I had a wonderful time in Brazil and was astonished by the warmth and openness of so many different people in Rio, vegan and non-vegan alike. I am already thinking of how and when I can return.

Other tidbits:

If you are ever in Rio and want to try some great raw vegan food, I highly recommend Universo Organico. The raw lasagna is amazing.

Also, there were two people that I was supposed to send a copy of the film to in Brazil. If you are reading this blog, can you please forward your address to me again and I will send along a copy. Your address was lost in my journey back to the US.

So, now that I have finished my graduate schooling at LFS, you might be wondering what is next for Ryan Vance, the vegan filmmaker extraordinaire. Well, I am not one to stroll into the unknown abyss of post graduation without a plan…

In fact, I do have a very specific plan that been in the works since before I began my higher education. It has been something I have wanted to achieve with every fiber of my being for many years, and now after finishing film school I am closer than ever.

As you might have already guessed, my next goal will be to climb Mt. Everest. Yes, that’s right. Well, not exactly. Not at all really It is actually to develop my first feature length film (which I believe will be no less challenging than climbing Everest).

In fact, I have already begun the process of writing and fundraising for this film. Like Vegan Love, I will be directing and producing the project. I will also be writing the script treatment (story outline), but I will be working a professional writer to pen the drafts. With my graduation short film, I found the writing process very educational but also very arduous. That along the many other jobs I undertook in the production of the film delayed finishing the film for much longer than expected. This time around, I hope to hire the appropriate experts to streamline the production of the feature film.

My time limit to have all of the funds together and begin pre-production full time is June 1, 2010. I am off to a great start already but there is still an incredible amount of work to do before June.

What will it be about?

I cannot say what the film will be about at this time, but I can assure you, the concept is extraordinary. As with my short film, the film will use humor and high entertainment value to raise exposure of the concept of veganism to the general public. That said my single most important priority is to make the story as interesting and compelling as possible. I am aiming for a wide theatrical release with all the bells and whistles of a proper PR campaign from an independent distributor.

And the Budget?

The budget for the film will be $250,000 and the film will be approximately 90 minutes in duration. I will be gathering financing on three different levels:

1.The largest proportion of the financing will consist of many small investments from the family, friends, and the interested public (i.e. vegans and raw foodies). $20-500 investments that will be see a return of double the original investment from the net profits of the film. I will be setting up more information about this investment opportunity and a Paypal link on this site shortly.

2. The second method of fundraising will involve sponsorship from various vegan and raw vegan companies. These types of sponsorships will range from free food during production to direct investments as tax write-offs from companies.

3. The final portion of the budget for the film will come from larger investments from selected investors. More on this option later…

The Road Ahead

It is never easy to raise money for a feature film by a first time director. As a matter of fact, it is pretty close to impossible for most that try. However, the odds aren’t really a concern of mine. I will keep trying with 100% of my energy everyday regardless. If I get there soon then great, if not I will keep working until it happens. I have to keeping working towards making these films because I feel that I have a moral obligation to spread the message of veganism to as many people as possible as soon as possible. The best way I know to do that, according to my knowledge and abilities means using cinema.

Fortunately, I also have the backing of many passionate people around the world that also want to support the cause. I am making films that are socially progressive with important and timely messages. I hope that I will be able to work together with other like-minded individuals to be as efficient as possible in spreading the message in the best possible way.

I am not trying to make a teen horror flick for a quick buck with my first feature. Money is not even a driving force for me to make the film. If it were about money, I would be in a different line of work entirely. In fact, the entire film production will effectively be a non-profit entity. All of the proceeds from the film, after repaying expenses and investors, will be put towards the development of a second film, and then a third and so on.

So, it’s one step at a time and back to work for me to make things happen. Please stay tuned for more details about the film and my progress.

the London Film School and I am very happy to announce that Vegan Love has now been completed. I have just finished the DVDs and send most of them off to cast and crew members of the film. I have also now officially graduated with a Masters degree from the London Film School. !!!WHOOPEE!!!

During the past year, I have put every ounce of available energy into making my graduation film the best it could be. Most of that time I found myself stretched to new limits of endurance by trying to manage the hectic pace. I made countless mistakes along the way; my only hope was to learn from those mistakes quickly enough not to repeat them the next time around. While far from perfect, I am satisfied with the final product of Vegan Love. Just being satisfied may not sound like much of an accomplishment given my high expectations for the film, but I have reached the goals I had set for myself in making the film. It will now be in the hands of the viewing audience.

I would like to briefly mention what I consider being the biggest lesson gained from making Vegan Love: the difficulty of trying to do everything myself. This advice goes out to film students out there reading this blog for any glimmer of what to expect on their film productions and how to prepare for it. The most obvious problems relate to staying creative when you have to organize the crew and events like the top-tier manager of a large corporation. Let’s say right brain vs. left brain. Some filmmakers (like Robert Rodriguez) work well by doing everything themselves, but most do not. Filmmaking for most is a social activity. It is crucial that you be able work with others. Many times in the filmmaking process (from writing, to production, to editing, to P&A) I became so stressed from trying to do everything myself that I felt I had lost site of the overall intentions of my work. While it was an immensely beneficial learning process, the final film product could have been much better had I checked my ego at the door and delegated out the work to specialists in their areas of filmmaking.

For the blog readers that have personally contributed to my film, I owe all of you a heartfelt “THANK YOU” for all of your help. And, for any of those reading that contributed to the film and have not yet received a DVD, please email me!

I will soon be entering Vegan Love into the film festival circuit. I hope to promote the raw vegan lifestyle from inside the vegan community with an eye toward a feature length film...stay tuned for updates...

I will not attempt to further answer this question within the constraints of this short article. However, I can refer the reader to an excellent blog that does a great job in addressing certain raw diet myths here. Also, I would like to pass along a recent article on the dietblog site that gathered comments dealing with the cost of their diet here. I would not attempt to submit this article for posting without including Tim VanOrden’s U-tube episode of his Running Raw Project that presents one way to shop for raw food here. Is it just me, or does Tim gather enough free samples to “make a meal”, thus subverting the incentive to purchase something from each vender? It’s OK Tim, I am just messing with you.
Now is the time for me to share the cost-saving tips that I have found helpful.

My Basic Guide to a 100% raw vegan diet on a budget…

1. You don’t need superfoods like: cacao, gogi, or maca, mana, mesquite, or acai for every or any meal. These foods can supplement your diet in a rich way when you have decided what foods work for you to be a perfectly functioning 100% raw vegan.

2. Try to get a blender if you don’t already have one. It will be a good investment to make cheap smoothies, salad dressings, desserts, etc. The dehydrators, food processors, spirulizers are all great tools as well, but you can make due without them.

3. Eat at the times of day that are most in-sync with your body’s natural physiology.
Try:
Breakfast: 8:00am-9am (or when you begin to feel hungry)
Lunch: 12:00pm-1pm
Dinner: 5:00pm-6pm
It is highly recommended to eat nothing after dinner to allow enough time for your body to digest the food before you sleep. Eating late into the evening can be detrimental to your digestive system.

4. Study the importance of “food combining”. General rule: always eat fruit alone or with greens, and especially not with fats…and wait at least 3 hours to eat fruit after your non-fruit meal. The following sites will help you prepare for that part of your diet:

a. http://www.rawfoodchat.com/forums/raw-food-interviews/interview-natalia-rose-69.html
b. http://www.detoxtheworld.com/knowledge-base-frequently-asked-questions.php#Combining%20Foods
c. http://www.giveittomeraw.com/forum/topics/1407416:Topic:409026?page=1&commentId=1407416%3AComment%3A409383&x=1#1407416Comment409383
d. http://karenknowler.typepad.com/living_in_the_raw/2007/09/reader-question.html
The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose also has a lot of great info about food combining.

5. Here is a basic 100% raw vegan meal plan for $7-10 a day.
Breakfast: Fruit $1-1.50
Oranges, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Nectarines, Berries…whatever you like.

Lunch: Green Smoothy $3.00
Greens=either spinach, kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, a bunch or half a bag ~200g ($1)
Neutralizer=2-4 bananas or 1-2 plantain(s) ($1)
Sweet Fruit=Grapes, Pears, Peaches, Blueberry’s….whatever you like. Add to taste ($1)

Dinner: Salad or Nori Wrap. $3-6
Salad: $6
Spinach, tomatoes, avocado, celery, alfalfa sprouts, mushrooms
Dressing:
Lemon Miso: Lemon, unpasterized miso (expensive and not quite raw ), nut base (pecans, walnuts, or almonds)
Pesto: pine nuts, basil, lemons, olive oil

Or…
Nori Wrap: $3-4
Raw Nori sheet, tomatoes, avocado, sprouts, lemon, olive oil, sea salt

-Salads and Wraps are great, but don’t wear them out. Remember there are a limitless amount of raw food possibilities out there.
-Dessert? If you still have money, Medjool dates and nuts are a great inexpensive way to go. ($6-7/lb.)

Cheaper still  !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The following methods do have a bit of a learning curve, but will become very easy once you have “tested the waters” for what works for you.

6. Try growing your own vegetables, they are cheaper, healthier and self-satisfying. Growing is a great learning experience. Use non-GM seeds.
-Sprouting is a great introduction to quick and easy meals. Wheatgrass will require a wheatgrass juicer. Broccoli and chickpeas are great tasting sprouts. Find help on these sites.
http://www.sproutpeople.com/
http://www.sprouting.com/
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/

7. Wild foraging is the cheapest and most healthy way to go if at all possible for you. Many times wild foods have much higher amounts of antioxidants and enzymes.
Take a local foraging workshop. The workshops might be pricey, but it they will pay for themselves many times over.

In the UK (E. London), Raw Rob offers some great foraging workshops: http://www.rawrob.com/coaching/
In the UK (Bristol) at: http://www.selfsufficientish.com/index.php/wild-foods/190-wild-food-foraging-courses-from-p35-forage-in-a-city
In the US (NW) you can contact: http://www.wildfoodadventures.com/
In the US (NE) at: http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/
http://www.rawfoodnetwork.com/books_wildfoodandforaging.html

8. “Freeganism” involves finding and salvaging discarded or unwanted produce from a variety of places, from supermarket dumpsters to “sharing co-operatives”, like: Food not Bombs at: http://www.foodnotbombs.net/ , or try S.H.A.R.E., at: http://www.wholesaledistributorsnet.com/SHARE_food.html. For more info on freeganism, you can check out: http://freegan.info/

Good luck and enjoy.

Within this short article I would like to share a personal assessment of my going from vegan to a raw food vegan. First and foremost, I applaud ALL conscious eaters who have taken the necessary steps to improve their health through a discipline of diet.  The sad truth is that many traps of unhealthy eating remain in my former vegan diet, like: highly process foods, heavy starches, and refined sugars to name a few. I feel compelled to share this assessment with my readers, having personally reached new heights of health and fitness from my experience with raw foods, and from meeting people that owe their lives to switching to a raw food diet.

The most typical response I hear from people planning a raw diet for the future is that they understand the many benefits, but are either too busy to implement the diet or believe it is too expensive for them to diet right now. I understand this reasoning - it does present a huge barrier. I used the same rationale when I first heard about raw foods. I used to say “having a raw food diet would be great, but it is not practical for me RIGHT NOW. It can wait until I have more money and time.” I understand now that my procrastination with beginning a raw foods diet was defeating the purpose of the diet altogether. Raw foods are not about making sacrifices now –by eating a tomato instead of a cheeseburger– so that you can live a couple of months longer in your 70s. It is about living up to your greatest potential right now — this very second, and every second you are alive.

This natural source of added energy helps us feel better. We become motivated to act on the improvements we have planned for ourselves. Our awareness of ourselves and our surroundings come into a sharper focus, allowing for a higher personal development.

I found that fewer sacrifices were actually required of me to maintain a raw foods diet than I had originally worried about. In reality, rawfoods taste better, they can be cheaper to prepare, and they offer us a natural way to live in harmony with the environment.

Becoming “raw” was a logical step in an ongoing process to improve my health. I studied what the recognized professionals were saying but, because the diet became a ‘trial and error’ effort to find out what made me feel better, the diet was self-taught. I will admit that I had to prepare myself mentally to be able to stick to the diet. There are times when it can be frustrating. Accordingly, like any new and positive change to promote self-improvement, it will take time to learn, adapt and adjust..

For those interested and/or willing to try the diet, I have included some tips that may help:

1. Approach raw foods with a positive attitude. If you bring a negative attitude, you are bound to have a poor experience. Raw foods taste better than any cooked food available…hands down. If you don’t like what you have made, try again. Have fun and experiment!

2. Make time. Everyone is busy, but you only have one life and it is ticking away by the second. It is vital to prioritize your time to include health and well-being in a quality lifestyle. It directly affects how you live and interact with everything around you.

3. Investigate the science backing the diet. We’re not making this stuff up! Research the works of Dr. Colin T. Campbell, Dr. Gabriel Cousins, and the works provided by the Hippocrates Health Institute.

4. Do not get trapped into a 100% raw or nothing diet. It takes time to learn new recipes and establish new eating habits. Just concentrate on adding these amazing foods to your diet as soon as you can. You will likely begin to feel much better and your interest in cooked foods will naturally decline. If this doesn’t happen right away, then don’t worry about it! Everyone responds differently depending on your body and previous eating habits.

5. If you are new to raw foods, you could try it out for an initial set time, like 30 days. This way there will be less personal pressure in the beginning to continue the diet forever! The raw food diet does have a learning curve. Also, if you are craving a cooked dish and it’s all you can think about, go ahead and have it, then continue with raw foods.  It is important that you feel as comfortable as possible during the process and not feel discouraged. Being 100% raw isn’t a competition or a bragging right. It is about being healthy and feeling great.

6. Try a green smoothie. A great beginning step to a raw diet is to incorporate green smoothies into your diet. For more information about green smoothies, please google the Boutenko family. Victoria Boutenko’s book, Green for Life is a fantastic resource for smoothies and the physiological basis for a raw diet.

-A second step would be to transition to eating only fruit and green smoothies until dinner. Also, try to have dinner early enough that you have at least 5-6 hours to digest the food before you go to sleep for the night. You will wake up feeling refreshed and energized.

First of all, my apologies for the long delay! I have been very busy with the editing of Vegan Love. It is coming along very well. I am hoping to finish editing and tracklaying (sound editing) in two weeks. Once that is finished, my next goal will be to have a professional sound dub and grading session (colour correction) and hopefully a final output before Christmas!

I finished filming as planned on the 9^th and 10^th November. The shoot went remarkably well considering so many locations and such little time. On Sunday, we filmed 4 different locations in 4 different parts of London in 9 hours! On Monday, we began at the National Gallery of London at 7am, then moved to Neil’s Yard Café in Covent Garden, and finished at Eat and Two Veg Restaurant at midnight! On Tuesday, we even filmed a short scene on Tuesday at Foyles Bookstore on Charing Cross Rd. from 8am-10:30am.

I am very thankful to my crew who worked extremely hard and ensured that everything was done as efficient and professional as possible.

It was a very busy two days, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. It is an amazing feeling to actually be creating something that has been in my head for months.

I will be adding more details soon. In the meantime, here are a couple of pics from the Shoot on 10^th November by Edgar Dubrovskiy: