Here's To The Future...With The Past In My Heart...

Been on YouTube for a little over seven years, give or take. I was originally making short horror films under the name Cedar Street Films. Now under Ghoulish Grin Films. I've had quite a time here on the best video streaming channel in the land. And this year in particular has been magnificent. I will always remember the old days, before Cedar Street Films. On my childhood block...Cedar Street. I made my first homemade videos there. Cedar Street Films was always a tribute to those younger years. It will always be the starting point. But now I move on. And I always look forward to moving on, whether it's a large leap or a small one. But I never forget what came before...

Thank you to my friends here on YouTube, Google +, and everyone else in GoogleLand. I wish you all success. And it doesn't have to be on a large scale. My success isn't. But the fact that I completed TWO feature films is something I'm quite proud of and surprised myself in just the accomplishment. You feel like doing something? Do it. I pray you can do it. I KNOW you can do it. 

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...

What?

Did you think I was going to say Christmas?

That time of year where the 'Christmas Cheer' is replaced by people swinging fists at each other for flat screen T.V.s at Walmart? Or masses getting irritated at long lines and not getting the items they wanted? Or just the commercialization of Christmas? Isn't it about an important figure who changed the world?

Oh no.

It's Halloween.

Sure, there's commercialization of Halloween, but not to the point where people are acting terribly towards their fellow man. Pumpkin spice over eggnog and peppermint? Yes please!

And the spooky. Ahhhhh...the spooky. Not everyone can handle the spooky. But to the many that can, it's so much fun. This is where we can embrace the macabre. The scary. The fantastical. We don't have to go torture porn (though some may, that's fine). We can go Disney creepy. And that's lovely. There are degrees we can go to...if you like insane horror, halloween is for you. If you like Disney's Halloween Treat, with Disney villains being jolly, halloween is for you.

So enjoy, my fellow ghouls! It's beginning to look a lot like Halloween...

The Future Is Now! Make Art!

This is an age of technology. It's a miracle in the palm of your hand. A phone, a tablet, a pad. A laptop.

Musicians are taking over with a laptop. The future is exciting!

I am a filmmaker. My name is Jess and I am the mainman at Ghoulish Grin Films. I make features, short films, royalty free music and sound effects. I review movies, make movies, love movies. YouTube, Google, and modern day technology are making it possible for me to be a filmmaker. I don't make a lot of money, but that's not why I'm doing it. Maybe the day will come when I do this for a living. Ahhhh, the possibilities! But for now, creating the art is enough.

And I urge all of you young filmmakers. If you want to make something, make it! It's never been easier to do it. Make your short film. And if you want to make more, make more. And if you want to make a feature, make a feature. Make more than one. I can't tell you that it won't be challenging or that you won't have stumbling blocks. We all do. But the future is now. Make your art!

It will be hard for some to get their hands on a great camera, so get the best one you can get your hands on. You may not have all the time in the world to make films, but use the spare time you have. You may not be able to hire actors...star in them! This will limit the scope of what you want to make, but then just scale down. Don't think so much about elaborate effects. Use your imagination, creativity. There are great simple stories to be told.

I find inspiration in all of you. I'll try my best to give it back...