The Bob Zula started as a semi-autobiographical short film that was made in 2008 by a couple of friends and I. For ten years, my hope was to one day make it into a feature because of the personal story, characters, and events that are inspired by real people.

Throughout the feature writing process, I knew that I was going to make the movie myself. With the help of my wife, I submitted the screenplay and pre-production material with aspirations of receiving local grants. The process helped me look at the project in a new light having prepared such extensive preproduction material. I had prepared visuals, style details, and even rallied a team of key members in attempts to persuade the grant reviewers that picture was production ready.

Although I didn’t get the grant, I then had my passion project I always dreamed of making, and it was production ready!

I started reaching out to community resources like the Texas Film Commission for the remaining need for crew. I scouted local improv comedy venues in Austin, and posted casting calls to meet new talent. I held a table reading where I continued to receive feedback about story details, and then held auditions and screen tests at the local public access studio owned by Austin Film Society. Location permits were secured, and friends lent equipment such as lenses, lights, and even our second camera.

From here, I began to crowd fund through Indiegogo building an audience, and post daily updates where we raised $7,300. The team would have to be very creative of where we put our time and money, such as filming our old Ford truck scenes all in one day due to rental costs.

We were able to fully complete the movie with the help of community donations such as the time and talents of the cast and crew that completely worked for free. Donors continued to contribute food, homes, businesses, costumes, and even the donation of motorcycle lessons for one of our main actors.

In addition to our financial challenges, we also had time challenges as everyone on the project was either a full-time students, or had a full-time job, so our shooting schedule had to be nights and weekends for two months. The biggest challenge was time management, and working with everyone’s schedules, including location availability, but by grace we didn’t miss anything that script called for.

It’s amazing to me how this project finished successfully, and how the obstacles of time, money, and resources were overcome consistently throughout making the feature. Everything was nothing short of a team effort.

I want nothing more than to share our story with the world. The idea of celebrating the work of so many artists, that are friends and family, at your film festival would make us so happy. Each and every person involved in this project truly put their entire heart into to it.

I’m so very grateful to have made a feature length film, and one that I have been thinking about for over ten years. To be accepted and screen at your film festival would be an honor for not only our team, but also for our diverse community that gave so much of their time, resources, and money to see that my dream came to fruition.