The Scoop on 95ers

Periodically on my blog I will shovel up some pay dirt. I love to dig for information.

95ers: Echoes, is a creative and ambitious inependent film, written and directed by ,Tom Durham. He was cool enough to answer all my questions. If you are a Sci-Fi fan you will want to see this.I bring you my first interview . . .

Have you always been a Sci-fi fan and which shows influenced you the most?

I grew up on Star Wars, Star Trek, and Star Blazers, and was abducted by aliens and trained in their ways.

When and how did your story idea hit you?

My brother James and I started developing the 95ers science fiction universe in 1998. Specific story elements hit me like bolts of lightening, which is why my hair is usually sticking up.

In one sentence, what is your story about?

"There is no time, there is only choice."
That's actually one of the taglines of the franchise. But honestly, I've tried in vain for years to summarize this story down to one or two lines!
It's the story about a lonely FBI agent, Sally Jo Biggs (played by my wife) who has strange time-bending powers. She's being stalked by the ghost of her husband, and by agents from the future. A terrible secret is behind her own powers and her husband's work. She doesn't realize that that the bond between them is the only thing that can save them, and the world.

What are some of the challenges that came with making an indy film?

No money, no time. Learning many things along the way.

Was the process of going from script to screen satisfying--or were some aspects of the story lost in translation?

This is the first of five 95ers stories. Because of budget constraints, I deliberately wrote this story to be the "tip of the tip of the iceberg" for the 95ers universe. Many elements of the overarching 95ers story are just touched upon... whetting of the appetites of millions of future fans.
As far satisfaction goes... it's been mostly a horribly difficult process. The rewards so far can really only be measured in terms of internal growth.

What was your fave part of process?

Seeing friends and family members come out of the woodwork to help. It's amazing how much love there is going around. And it is nice to see the eyes of people light up when they learn some of the cosmically cool details of the 95ers universe.

How was it working with your wife, Ali Durham, as your lead character?

Well, not many filmmakers get to work with gorgeous and talented actors--and not have to pay them.

When is, 95ers: Echoes, expected to be finished and what are your plans with it once it is complete?

Echoes will be finished later this year... We'll have some fun premieres, and then off to the festivals. I'm hoping that it's television debut will be on the SyFy Channel, and then to DVD.

Do you have plans for future projects? If so-- what would you do the same or different?

Many many plans and many future projects. There are several novels in the works (including some 95ers books), screenplays looking for buyers, and TV shoes and movies on the horizon. But I won't ever produce anything as ambitious as a science fiction movie again without all the funding in place...

So any more details on the story?

Well, here's the summary I used to use for 95ers:ECHOES...

"Are these the shadows of things that will be, or are they the shadows of things that may be, only?" So says Scrooge to the ghost of Christmas future.

Echoes is the story of Sally Jo Biggs, an FBI agent with a mysterious power—she can rewind time. She can go back up to nine seconds and fix any mistake. Thanks to her special ability, her destiny had always been in her own hands. Her fear of weaving her life together with someone else's is confirmed when her husband dies in a bizarre accident. It looks like it will be a lonely and disillusioned Christmas for Sally... until she sees his ghost.

Now she will stop at nothing to discover the real cause of her husband’s death, and the true nature of his top secret work. As she closes in on the truth, she unwittingly enters a battleground she never knew existed. But the enemy has underestimated her powers, and she has underestimated the timeless reach of her own love.

Wow- that sounds great. (I think that would make a great query letter for a novel!) Thanks for you time. I am looking forward to seeing your movie!
 

95ers Website