It's official. Writing partner Mike Gallagher and I signed an option with the RIo Grande Media Group today for our feature film script "Dead By Thursday." Can't tell you how exciting this is.
    We got paid for the option and we get to work with a cool group of people to get a totally homegrown New Mexico movie made.
    And when the movie actually goes into production, we get paid a nice amount. Being screenwriters in New Mexico, we know how rare it is for us to actually get paid for our work.
    As many of you know, I've been crusading for local filmmakers for years. I've always thought that if the indigenous community, that is, New Mexicans, don't start getting in on the incentive program and start taking advantage of everything we have in place for film, the whole effort will have been a wasted.
    Not that I don't support the invasion by Hollywood -- in part, that's why we're able to do what we're doing. But we cannot live by the generosity of outsiders alone. Hollywood could pick up and leave any time. We want to make sure there is something to take its place.
    We hope this step will open up opportunities for other New Mexicans who want to work above the line. I know so many talented writers, producers and directors who live here, but who rarely get the chance to do what they want to do and get paid for it. Thanks to RGMG for honoring the creative process and opening the way for those of us who want to live and work and make movies and TV here.
    By the way, we are in negotiations for a second option on "Duke City," a feature film that we hope to parlay into a TV series, starting Steven Michael Quezada, Dean Norris of "Breaking Bad" and Wes Studi.
    We know we may have to bow to the reality of the business and bring in folks from outside our borders to get a TV series off the ground, but the intent is to use as much above-the-line and below-the-line talent from New Mexico as possible, including the writing team.
   
   

    My week is going well.
    Found out Monday my city contract with the Public Art program is renewed for another three months.
    Found out this morning I may get the chance to be a local producer for a Discovery Channel piece on gangs. Should know more later in the day. Thank you, Ann Lerner, for the referral.
    Also, learned yesterday our 48 Hour film, "Baking Bad," made it to the finals on Saturday night at the KiMo. Come check out the best of this year's 48 crop. The producers of "Baking Bad" have also offered me the chance to go to Austin with a team from here to compete in their 48 Hour competition next month.
    Also met with local speaker Creve Maples this week to discuss a locally produced TV series, a la TED, with a focus on -- well, everything -- from quantum physics to how the brain works to archaeological mysteries and the MEANING OF LIFE. If we go any deeper, we'll have to kill you.
    Off to meet with Rio Grande Media Group this morning to discuss option for "Dead By Thursday."
 
   UPDATE: Close to a deal with Rio Grande Media Group for 2-year option on DBT. Also discussing option on "Duke City" feature film. Looking good. Look forward to working with RGMG.

    Looks like my writing partner, Mike Gallagher, and I, are about to have a script optioned by the Rio Grande Media Group. It's for our first feature film script, "Dead By Thursday," the story of a couple of ex-drug smugglers who must come out of hiding to rescue a Mennonite boy from a vicious Mexican cartel. A certain big-name star has read the script and is interested, so we're excited to see what happens with this. I'm not putting the name out there for various reasons, but mainly because I'm superstitious and don't want to jinx this.
    We're also hoping to lock down an option for the movie version of "Duke City" soon. The film script is a prequel to the first episode of the TV series we're hoping to launch here in New Mexico. It's about an undercover cop who infiltrates a local gang to gain information on Mexican cartels (I'm sure you're seeing a theme here, but don't worry, next one's a sci-fi). He soon finds himself leading the gang after an unfortunate turn of events. Then things get weird.
    Waiting to hear if the 48 Hour film I co-scripted, "Baking Bad," made it to the finals. Should know pretty soon. Worked with my buddy Gene Grant, and KataLina Parrish and Lynda Fazio on that one.
    Also making progress on a new video for the City of Albuquerque Public Art program called "Center of the CIty." It's got a little science, a little geography, a couple of big pieces of public art and lots of history about the city around the time of statehood. I've lived here 34 years and found out stuff I didn't know about Albuquerque.