I also got a domain name that now points directly to that blog. http://www.forloveandstacie.com

The Wordpress link was just to long and difficult for people. If it ever picks up steam and I find the resources I may try to get a full site for it but at present this will have to suffice.

I do want to thank everyone here for taking the time to comment. I do still hold out hope that some of you that weren't inspired to click Play and actually watch it may find a moment of inspiration to give it a try. I'm sure most are already tired of me asking for help spreading it around so I'll not ask you for that, but you just watching it for your own entertainment would mean the world.

Thanks so much Chris for taking a risk by posting this. I am more than touched by both you and your readers willingness to try to roust up some support and guild me in the right direction. Not least of all Bob Andelman, aka Mr Media (@andelman) for having me on his show yesterday DIRECTLY as a result of your post here. If anyone wants to they can give it a listen here: http://tinyurl.com/mavxks

Thanks everyone, crossing my fingers I can still make this work and trying hard to implement many of your suggestions, I'm not giving up yet!

- Ray

Also, I'm writing this a few days after watching the film, so, please know that it did stick in my mind for some reason. :) Anyway, I think that the tricky thing about promoting this film is the necessary “no spoiler alert”….you really do have to watch the whole film to get the true effect. Maybe play more on the unexpected ending part….I was curious about “where's he going with this” and “how's this going to end?”. Yet I see, too, that for those not interested in the “issue” per se, they might not come away appreciating time spent on a topic that wouldn't have interested them from the get-go.) This is more than a love story. After the fact, it's interesting how the ending can seem predictable even though it was surprising at the time. I liked the trailer, I thought it was an accurate representation of the film.

Instead of this movie being viewed as just “entertainment”, it would be great to have a post-viewing discussion group about it.

The “reality” aspects of this film are particularly intriguing. I think this work is a great “business card” and I would definitely recommend Ray to anyone looking for a filmmaker…I don't have to love the topic he covered to see he can do good work. My only suggestion would be to maybe edit it down some…curious thing, though, whenever I fast forwarded a bit, I'd always have to rewind to catch up on what I missed.

Hope these comments help a bit. Sorry that I don't have an appropriate network to recommend it to. It seems that the only filmmakers I know are in the same boat as Ray, trying to get noticed, too. Best of luck to you, Ray, and to all struggling artists. (And definitely keep us posted on any new work you have coming out, Ray.)

1. It is not about how good or bad your film may or may not be. I think it is about identifying an interested audience and going directly after them. Maybe bloggers that cover relationship topics.

2. I think that you should create a brand around your film project. For example, I have written a few books. Each book project has an associated interactive blog. Yes it will be great to sell books, but there are site visitors that posted blog entries because they were interested in the topic not because they read the book. This helps spread brand awareness and can result in a potential sale.

3. Another idea is to make the project personal to regular people by hitting the streets and getting their “For Love&Stacie” Stories and posting them on Youtube and your site.
4. You obviously have enough talent to produce a film. Sign up for sites like eHow.com and write articles on producing film and use “For Love& Stacie” as an example. Interested readers will then watch your film as a case study.

5. Last but not least, comment on film blogs, give an interesting perspective and help others whenever you can.

Basically, I’m taking my own advice for my upcoming book, ““Facebook Addiction: The Life and Times of Social Networking Addicts.” Check it out http://www.TheFacebookAddiction.com

Good Luck with your project.

-Nnamdi

My hope with social media or going viral is that most things that go viral dont always require a description. Its a simple “Hey, this is funny/great/hilarious/neat go watch it”. It doesn't always have a lengthy description or much else, people will often just go watch for themselves based on someone else's praise or recommendation. If people just press play and watch For Love & Stacie generally speaking the response is even BETTER than I had hoped for.

I don't want to get defensive, everyone here has so generous in their time just to read and post. My goal with releasing it wasn't to get donations or raise money or anything other than to get my work seen, pray that it goes viral, and that that might help me raise my profile as so often viral videos do for their creators. As I say in the blog, things have been bad, being self employed as a director/shooter/editor has been rough the last few months and its been a struggle to keep my head above water. Insult to injury was that, what I felt was one of my greatest achievements to date (self funding and making a feature length movie) was completely under the radar. And to be honest if it wasnt for the amazing feedback I got from the screening and fests it was in it wouldn't have bothered me as much. If everyone that saw it thought it was horrible, well, I think I would have been more willing to lick my wounds and go home and try again. But every review was good, audiences seemed to love it. So I thought, well, maybe I wont make money but if I just put it out there and people watch they would be willing to tell others to do so.

Anyway, obviously I don't know what I'm doing, been grasping at straws ever since I made it. Truly hope that some here will be willing to take the time to watch and see for themselves whether or not it's worth it.

Thanks Kat for the post, meant so much.

- Ray