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Photo by Curtis Schultz

Monday, August 12, 2013

News and Tattoos


Wesley Alley Director
So big things, and then again, not a lot of information haha…

Lets start with stuff I promised you I would tell you… Lets start with ReRe-Animated… So as you know my short film ReRe-Animated has done really well over the last 2 years playing at film festivals… we have been an official selection at like 13 or 14 or 15 or something film festivals, won several best film awards, several audience choice awards, a best director award, and lots more… It has been very humbling and awesome all at the same time. Some of you might even know (if you actually read my blog) that ReRe-Animated has been licensed for online distribution by a company called indieflix…

You can watch the full film here:

http://indieflix.com/indie-films/rere-animated-34525/

Pretty cool right… you can even sign up for a trial period and check out the film, and lots more and then cancel for free if you are not happy or if you don’t want to continue the membership.

What I am really excited to tell you all, I don’t have any details yet… but here is the skinny.  I have signed contracts, and am just awaiting details so I figured why not go ahead and spread the good news instead of waiting and keep telling you its coming and then not posting anything… So I have signed a licensing agreement with a company called Shorts HD which is a channel on a lot of cable and satellite TV companies … I don’t know any programming yet, so Ill have to keep you posted on that, but… Its pretty awesome news that you will soon be able to watch ReRe-Animated on TV… and lots… for at least three years… AND the European and Asian channels of Shorts HD are also looking to license it if it does well on the American channel. So when I do find out the programming, I will need everyone possible to watch it and TiVo it, and tweet, and Facebook, and whatever else about it so it looks and is super popular and cool… More about that soon.
http://vimeo.com/shortshd

Also… I also just signed a licensing agreement with American Horrors… Awesome right? For those of you that don’t know what that is… It’s a super rad (short for radical) online horror channel… and it’s free.  Again I don’t know about programming yet, but when I do, I’ll post it.  It is for at least a 3 year period as well, but again, when I find out the programming I will need a huge response.
http://americanhorrors.com/shows.html

I also have 2 or 3 other offers, and things that I am working on flushing out details that I will be able to announce for sure soon… but so far the news is pretty awesome!!! Good for me, and great for people that want to watch it!

Check out our official website, trailer, blooper reel, pics, news, festival news, sales news, crew list, and lots and lots of other cool stuff here.:

http://www.rere-animatedmovie.com/

Or friend us and follow us on facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/rereanimated

I guess next we need to talk about The Rocketz music video I directed… Awesome song, great band, cool story, surprises, and really awesome werewolves.  It’s pretty awesome.  It is presently ready to release as soon as the band releases their new album. So as soon as the album is out, we will release the video.  It will be all over the place and you all will love it!!!!!  It’s going to be incredible.  The Band and I have also been talking about scheduling a live showing of the video at one of the bands up and coming LA shows.  Hope that works out and more to come soon!!!!!
Check out the band The Rocketz here:

https://www.facebook.com/therocketz

Check out my other music videos in the Links section on the right of your screen (if you’re looking on a computer.  If you’re looking on your phone, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click view full page. Then you can see them in the links section on your right)

Next, the web series I guest directed I hear is coming along great. I will have more news on this very soon… keep checking back.

NEW PROJECTS… I have several new directing projects that I am working on and almost ready to announce. I had hoped to be able to announce a few of them during this blog, but it will have to wait. News will be coming very soon as I am very, very close to things starting… Be excited though, its very, very, very awesome!!!!!

Now lets talk about the last few weeks..

To be completely honest to all my fans and friends, I have been super, super stressed, and kinda had a little breakdown. I have been focusing too much on the negative things in my life and not enough on the positives. If you really know me, you know how much of a positive person I am and sometimes my wife and a few friends even give me a hard time calling me “Mr. Positive.” Its not like I have been super negative, I have just been focused on the negatives, like trying to make them disappear and or how to fix them etc. but it got to the point where it’s all I was thinking of.  Nothing good, just all of the negatives. It was enough to put me in a funk, and eventually proved to be too much…

Lets talk about tattoos…

I have tattoos, and I like my tattoos a lot. On my leg I have a tattoo from my knee down on my left leg. It is a custom tattoo of 2 demons sitting on a throne of bones and skulls. This tattoo is unfinished, but one of my favorites, this tattoo was to remind me of my inner demons, and big mistakes I had made in the past. If I always remembered them, I wouldn’t make the same again. On my other leg I was to get 2 angels. I never even started this one. I needed the angels to remind me of the positive things, and to focus on them too, not just the negative. If you spend so much time focusing on the negatives, even if for good reasons, then your life is still consumed with negatives. We need those angel tattoos, or Pirate tattoos, or whatever reminds you of the positive things in life…
Nobody's Hero Tattoo
My friend and one of my first tattoo artists TJ Mahony will be doing some more work for me soon.  TJ is the owner and an artist at Nobody’s Hero Tattoo in Boise Idaho.
TJ and his wife

Check them out on facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/NobodysHeroTattoo

(New updated website coming soon) Give them a like on Facebook and stop in and see them.  It is one of my first and favorite tattoo shops. And TJ is a great friend!!! As soon as he does some more work on me, Ill post it.
TJ tattooing
TJ has been tattooing for over 15 years, getting his start at an early age. One of the things TJ is most proud of is getting started as an artist before the reality TV shows and other things that took tattooing so main stream. TJ has owned his own shop since I have known him, and has tattooed many celebrities and bands including: Myself (cough cough clearing of the throat), TOOL, Mastodon, Isis, Neurosis, Gwar, Snoop Dogg, Slightly Stoopid, Torche, Frightened Rabbit, The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Intronaut, The Expendables, Pepper, Bone Thugs, Qwel, Murs, The Melvins, Big Business, Tech N9ne, Via Vengeance, Sorxe, Young Widows, Breather Resist, Mouth Of The Architect, Zozobra, Cave in, Rosetta, Jesu, Russian Circles, Pelican, Mickey Avalon, Beardo, Dirt Nasty, and lots more. TJ is a great guy, runs a great shop, and much more. He also is known for his famous vans shoes paintings, 
http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-canvas-of-slip-on-vans/Content?oid=1062282
making his own needles, and machines, and for his excellent clean shop. Check him out, like his facebook page, stop in at his shop and tell him I sent you. Its great to call TJ a friend and an artist, and I am so excited to get some more work from him soon! We should all be so lucky.





Ancient Iron Tattoo Parlour
My friend Ben Obray also owns a tattoo shop in Boise. Ben is the owner and Piercer, and I haven’t got any work in his shop yet, I wanted to share because he is a great friend and his shop looks great. Its called Ancient Iron Tattoo. Check them out on the web at:
Ben Obray
http://www.ancientirontattoo.com/

And on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/AncientIronTattoo
Like them on Facebook and stop by there shop sometime. Ben has been piercing sing 1995.  He is a great friend, a trust worthy dood, and if you check out the mini bio on his website he “Likes: New challenges, Underwater construction, Water color, Otter pops, Sobriety, and Converse.  He 

dislikes: Mean people, puppets, Most vegan food, Sunburns, and Platypus (what, they're weird)”. Check out the other guys at the shop and if you stop by, tell him I sent you and that I said hello!!!!




Players Ink Tattoo
My buddy who has given me my most favorite tattoo to date is JT Stubblefield. He works at Players Ink in San Jose. I originally know him from Boise ID, he tattooed my pirate pistol and sword. The piece isn’t finished, we still have treasure maps, and banners, and pirate ships, etc to add, but the pistol and gun were an amazing start. Now just need to find time and money to go to San Jose to have him finish. You can check him out on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/playersinksj

And the shop is (not yet updated website) at:

http://www.playersinktattoo.com/
He is a great guy.  He started tattooing with a traditional apprenticeship, and then has been doing it professionally since 2000. He is a good friend and I love his work that he has done on me. Hit him up and let him know I sent you. He is great!

I know I have been talking about tattoos which not everyone of you can relate to or even want to relate to, but the real point of all this was a reminder to stay positive, and even though you need to remember the negative and try hard to learn from your mistakes, and never forget so you don’t keep making the same, you also need to remember the good and the positive things in life. Think of the good, and enjoy life.  The tattoos are just my little way of remembering for myself.



THANK YOU ALL AND AS ALWAYS
Thank you for reading and following (Hint Hint, if you haven't followed my blog yet, you probably should) Please, if you have any questions or comments, write them in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you guys (which includes you female doods too)!!!! Please keep reading and share with your friends. Lots more great and exciting things are coming on this long hard road of making it as a director...

Monday, July 1, 2013

Making Movies In The 3rd World Country Of NOLA


WOW, WOW, WOW so I know I said that I would be a lot better about writing but this time its really not my fault, I have been in a 3rd world country for the last 7 weeks... the 3rd world country of New Orleans, Louisiana affectionately known as NOLA... Now I am not talking bad about New Orleans, I actually had an amazing time there and met some amazing people, but let me explain because to me, it was like a 3rd world country...
BUT FIRST!!!!! I wanna give you a little update from my last blog post... I promised some big things coming soon, and they are coming I promise, right now I am just waiting on some contracts, and programming, etc... but here is a little update...

1. The webseries i guest directed is being edited and ready to post, so Ill be able to provide more info about that as soon as I get the info...
2. The Rocketz music video edit is locked, and everything is going good, just finishing up some small tweeks to effects, and some color correction, and we will be ready to show.  Well, as soon as the band is ready to release it, that is.  But look for it coming soon, and get excited, cause it is going to blow you away!!!!
3. ReRe-Animated News... I am still working on a few things, so I can't make the big announcement yet, but I can tell you that I have signed deals with 2 TV stations to show ReRe-Animated, and I am also still in the works with 2 DVD short compilations... So when things get finalized, which might take a while since its all contracts, lawyers, and business people I will supply you all with more information!!! As always you can check out ReRe-Animated at our website www.rere-animatedmovie.com and you can even watch the whole movie on indieflix!!! Sign up for a free trial and check it out, watch the short film, and see what all the hype is all about!!!
http://indieflix.com/indie-films/rere-animated-34525/

NOW back to the 3rd world country of NOLA experience.................................................................
New Orleans
This is the view down the street from where I was staying.
The infamous!!!
 Okay so it all started with a great friend of mine, Mr. Ryan Patrick McCoy asking me to go to NOLA and help him do a little movie for another friend. It was a small movie, but it was a good story, a good script, crewed with good people, and for a friend I was willing and wanting to go. So we went! Making  movies in New Orleans! I had never been there before so I was kinda excited but at the same time I started this industry in FL, so I knew how hot and humid and how many bugs, etc there was going to be so part of me was kinda dreading it...
Ryan Patrick McCoy, Myself and Blaw Blah enjoying oysters at oysterfest,,,
We went and we were making movies, and we were meeting all sorts of great people.  The DP, the grip crew, and the lighting crew were all from LA, but so many other people were local from NOLA or Baton Rouge and came up with the director to help him. I learned it was a great story that this director has been working on making into a movie for years, and this would only be his 2nd or 3rd feature film. So it was really a bunch of friends helping out this Director with his passion project. At the moment I was sold. I was 100% invested in this film and how it turns out, helping this director and all of his friends in a passion project. Someday I really hope that I have a similar experience with all my friends and new friends coming to help me direct my passion project, wether it be my first feature film, my third, or my 20th.

Now as to why I felt like I was in a 3rd world country is mostly a joke, but its kinda serious. We filmed almost all in the old french quarter and the french quarter, and we were also housed there, so most, if not all of what I saw of New Orleans, was that funky architecture, cobblestone or nearly destroyed streets, freaks, face tattooed homeless, and weird touristy stuff. Something you would see in Amsterdam or some festival in a 3rd world country. Not to mention the entire time I was there we didn't have TV or Interwebs at the place we were staying at. So no TV or Internet, phone service was spotty, and we had no car. So we walked, biked, took a cab, or got a ride everywhere... It totally felt like a third world country.
At this little bodega there were all these different Voodoo Dolls and I found one that was actually named Wesley... One of the only ones with an actual persons name it it was my name... look what its used for???? Wow Right?!?!?!
Wesley with my stunnershades on!!!
Mississippi River! and strangers!!!
Had to go here right?
The Rocketz on tour in NOLA while I was there. Great show!!!
Sweet jazz band!
Like day two I almost broke my foot... Still have a limp because of it.
At least the weather was great right???
Lighting meeter is 100% in the red...
My 1st crawfish boil!!!
The only place that has better fried chicken is maybe Popeyes...
All that being said, I have stories to last a life time. When I am retired I will be that old guy who tells stories that start out, "When I was still doing lighting (because I am going to be a full time director then), I did a little movie in New Orleans," and I will be talking about this movie. Some stories funny, some intense, some great, but I have a million stories! I also met some of the best people ever, and I can honestly say that I had an amazing time and cant wait to go back...

ALL THE GREAT PEOPLE!!!! I COULDN'T FIND PICTURES FOR EVERYONE SO IF YOU WANT ME TO ADD YOU SEND ME A PIC AND ILL UPDATE IT!!!!! OR IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE PHOTOS OR WANT ME TO REMOVE YOURS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL DO SO...
Richie
Candace
Richie and Tom (with Blah Blah)
Kim
JT and his best friend!!!!
Random sweet jazz street band
Jessica
The great Ryan McCoy
The Negotiator/Hat thief 
Random couple driving a remote control recliner down the street.
Eric
Alexa
Andy
Stephen
Kim
Kirt
AND MANY MANY MORE!!!!

That being said... I think I will be going back in a few weeks. My director friend that I have written about in the past, Darren Bouseman, has asked me to come back and help him with his next film, so in a few short weeks, I will be flying back down to NOLA (hopefully ill have interwebs and phone this time) to be the Gaffer on Darren's next great horror film... Its going to be another amazing experience!!!!!
Darren Lynn Bousman
check out Darren's blog here- http://www.darrenlynnbousman.com/

or

check him out on IMDB here- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1135423/

THANK YOU ALL AND AS ALWAYS
Thank you for reading and following (Hint Hint, if you haven't followed my blog yet, you probably should) Please, if you have any questions or comments, write them in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you guys(which includes you female doods too)!!!! Please keep reading and share with your friends. Lots more great and exciting things are coming on this long hard road of making it as a director...