MSTM IV Journal 5.19.26

My Son, the Mummy IV

Production Diary — Entry 3

May 19, 2026

TRANSCRIPT

Diary entry of May 19th — I was going to say May 18th, now sorted. So, what got done?

Writing. Yes — two jokes in the movie, right there. And there was one small dick joke as

well, and it's the only one in the movie, so — I thought we need at least one of those. That

happened.

I learned a good deal about Apple MLX and various AI effects workflows. Decided that we

will not be hiring any SAG actors. Also did some outreach — send them my way too, so

there's that.

I did a lot of editing on Episode 1 and had a look at it. Did some research — there are

some RF noise issues going on with it, just unavoidable, can't clean them up. But we're

going to justify that with the footage: it looks ancient. You know, that's a good thing for us

right there. And yeah, so all those things are in every episode. But I think there's interesting

stuff going on, so I think it's worth it.

I've never built a website before, so I'm kind of learning and then doing, and learning more

and doing some more, et cetera. I think just for the beginning of the crowdfunding

campaign I'll have a website with four or five active pages, and then there are like another

five pages in undetermined status — they'll get developed and revealed during the

campaign.

And another big decision I made today: we're going to begin with the crowdfunding

campaign. Possibly on three different platforms. A crowdfunding campaign needs to

include everything — a picture, an introduction, merch and swag for donors, gifts. I've got a

list of like 45 different kinds of perks — some that cost very little, others more — for

different tiers of donors. Makes sense, right?

The crowdfunding campaign is going to kick off around June 10th or 15th. We're going to

give it two months to find its legs, really work it, because we want a successful

crowdfunding campaign. I want to avoid a situation where we have to go out to private

investors or investment groups to find the money. $175,000 — I don't have that money,

and so we have to find it. I would rather it come from crowdfunding campaigns than from

private or investment groups, because the more you rely on that as a source of funding, the

more they're in a position to call shots on the film's budget. If crowdfunding covers even a

third of it, that gives me a lot more leeway. Because I'm already asking people to work at

lower rates, pretty much across the board. Me, I'm getting paid nothing.

What matters is succeeding — making the money back, making the budget back. But it's

important to me, especially if we're going to be borrowing funds from a group, that we do

everything possible to make this film successful — and be able to pay all those folks back,

and hopefully more. That's the only plan right now. And it's not a long-shot plan —

$175,000 for a feature film is not asking for the moon.

That is another big decision made today. That's going to be it for this entry of the mummy

movie. That's it. We're finished. See you tomorrow.

MSTM IV Journal 5.17.26

My Son, the Mummy IV

Production Diary — Entry 2

May 17, 2026

TRANSCRIPT

It's May 17th — this is a diary journal entry for myself on the project. Entirely just take one,

so today was — only knows I've got plenty of other things to do, so —

I worked on the presentation, the pitch deck presentation slides, and in writing out the

presentation script, which I want to have finalized — to be able to practice it — maybe in

about eight days. I thought about pushing the beginning of the funding stage from June 1st

to June 15th, but I really got to keep myself on track. Finish up the script and throw it out

there — it's time for that, I think.

I also did some things with some music, which is the Love Theme — some musical number

work, work on the dental ceremony. And although these musical numbers and such, they

don't take precedence over other things which need to happen before we hit the funding

stage. Those two top ones being the script itself and the presentation. The pitch deck is

fine. The executive summary needs some changes, and I've got to do some reading and

research into just how much we can mess with what's considered the normal executive

summary format.

In terms of deal structure: I'm thinking of taking 51% and then offering the other 49% of the

film to investors — an investment group, or individual, or individuals. I don't have $175,000.

I think that with some persistence through the crowdfunding campaign, I could reach out

and possibly get like 20% of the budget — say $35,000 — from friends and family and

others. Just the seed and spark. GoFundMe, Kickstarter — we'll probably run like three

different crowdfunding campaigns.

The thing about crowdfunding of course is that it needs time to develop, to find people,

possible backers. Because if you're going to actually raise, let's say, half of what you need

for a film through crowdfunding, you want to do that. You don't want to take most of the

money from an investment group who's going to want a significant chunk of your film.

Either way — beginning of June or around October, November, December — start

reaching out to individuals and investment groups.

I also confirmed my thinking today about casting. We're not a SAG production, so we're not

going to hire SAG actors. And I don't want to hire SAG actors under any kind of pretense

— get them in underneath the table or some kind of workaround — because it's too much,

you're inviting too many problems. That's especially true if you plan on filming in Los

Angeles, which is currently the plan.

That is the plan right now, and I'm pretty sure that's going to happen. We're going to do ten

shooting days down in Los Angeles in a studio — either a virtual production studio in and of

itself, or one that we come in and make into one. And then one shooting day of exteriors —

remote production — which is going to be up here for various reasons. I'm now thinking:

how much more could we get with that eleventh day if we just do it down in the same

production studio? That was the strategy from day one — shoot in a single studio that has

parking, dressing rooms, green rooms, a spot to sit down and have a meal.

We're looking at a crew of eight to nine people, and I think we'll average like five actors a

day — a mixture of leads, day players, featured extras, kind of thing. And then maybe two

or three others on top of that, so maybe you're talking about sixteen or seventeen people

total. Meals — and meals is not something I'm willing to get cheap about. We're already

getting cheap like everywhere else. We're asking everybody to work for cheap, to work for

— you know — I would prefer to pay everyone well. So good God, if you're going to ask

people to do that for you, you give them hugs and you feed them well. Alright, so there's

that.

That's going to be the end of this entry. Tomorrow morning I'll get up, have my steel-cut

oatmeal with blueberries, a cup of coffee, and first thing is opening up that script — the

track through the Stay Away Island jungle — and knock that thing out. Like two and a half

hours, possibly. Possibly the Entertainment Frenzy or the Layer of Dye Creature scene as

well, perhaps in the first two and a half hours. Do that first, right off the bat, then move on to

other things and come back to it in the early afternoon.

MSTM IV Journal 5.16.26

My Son, the Mummy IV

Production Diary — Entry 1

May 16, 2026

TRANSCRIPT

Hello friends, this is the first diary and journal entry for myself acting as producer, director,

writer, etcetera — person — on a feature-length film, which will be entering the funding

stage in about two and a half weeks. At that stage we'll be approaching individual

investors, investment groups, and then in about five weeks beginning the crowdfunding

stage.

Till now I've been doing most every job, with the help of producer friends of mine — Debbie

Brubaker — you'll recall — there are some others in departments that have been working

with, kind of paying sporadically as I can. I'll get into them in such as we go along. But

anyway, that is our timeline: funding stage, crowdfunding stage, with production slated for

mid-February 2027.

And why is that? Time to earn the money. It's not — I wouldn't call it a micro micro budget

film, not micro budget in terms of like a contractor — so it's a micro budget film and we

probably will not be hiring SAG actors for this, which limits us a bit, but that's just fine.

There are plenty of female comics, other people, and such in theater around. Wardrobe,

casting, and all that — that's down the road anyway.

And right now it's just all about the funding stage, and those documentations and ducks in

a row which need to happen before it — and that includes the script, of course. So I'm

bringing the last couple of weeks of that. The presentation, lookbook, executive summary,

et cetera — all are very well on their ways to happening.

And I'm working on the presentation right now — the script for the presentation, which I'll

be delivering to any group or individual. So I'm writing it now, and it'll probably just be over

the weekend or the next three days, and I'll finish up with it so I can begin practicing and

getting it to a point that I'm happy with it.

That's it right now. Another exciting journal entry for you all — probably within two or three

days. That's it. Goodbye.