As a special salute to all of the supporters and fans of "Journey Home," I present a limited engagement online screening of the film. Enjoy! (Film will no longer be available to watch after Dec. 26, 2013. If you wish to own a hard copy of the film, please visit Loggerhead Marinelife Center's webpage and adopt a sea turtle patient via their Premium Adoption Package ($75), which includes "Journey Home" on DVD).
 
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Educators and home school parents who wish to use "Journey Home" in their students' lessons, please visit the "Extras/Marketing" page on this website for the contact form to download the film for FREE and a curriculum guide companion for the film...also FREE!!!!!
Click on the image to the left to go straight to the "Extras/Marketing" page.

 
I can't make a formal announcement... but let's just say I got a VERY good sign that "Journey Home" will be an "Official Selection" at one of the fests it's entered into!
...doing the turtle dance... doing the turtle dance...
 
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It's been a hectic and adventurous summer for "Journey Home: On a Mission to Save a Species."
After relocating 3,400 miles to Washington State, I have just now been able to gather everything needed to get the film entered into a couple of film fests. The one I have a very good feeling about is EcoFocus Film Fest, in Athens, GA, where JH 2.0 is entered as a "family film." The other fest is a more art-cinema festival and I'm not sure how we'll do.
The general feedback on the film is good and almost everyone agrees it is a perfect "classroom" documentary. I hope so. I'd love to see it have a positive effect on young minds.
So, many of my blog followers want to know how to see Journey Home. That's simple... there are two easy ways to get a copy. One is through adoption of a turtle at Loggerhead MarineLife Center. All Premium adoption packages include a DVD copy of JH. Next, is if you are an educator, homeschooling parent, youth group leader, nature/wildlife club member or librarian. Contact me for a link to download the film for free.
Otherwise, you might have a bit of a wait before it makes it to your town via a film fest or free public screening. Come to think of it, there's only one free public screening that I know of and it'll be in Washington State.

Cheers,
- Rick W.

 
I'm very, very pleased to announce "Journey Home" will be broadcast on WBEC-TV in September of this year. I just received word this morning from the station manager, who said he would give the exact airing date soon.
Also, the DVDs will go on sale at Loggerhead Marinelife Center by the end of July (hopefully in conjunction with a public screening at the center).
I know many of Journey Home's fans and supporters have waited a long, LONG time for this news. I'm so thrilled that it's finally ready for it's "prime time debut!"
If I owe you a copy of the DVD please note that it will be mailed out AFTER the public release. So you can expect it by the beginning of August.
Thank all of you for your continmued support and for caring about those amazing sea turtles and the folks who
 
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We were able to get a quick picture in before the crowd arrived.
To say that our appearance at LMC's Turtle Fest was a success is about as much of an understatement as saying leatherback sea turtles are kinda big.
Along with musician Mike White, we had a steady stream of people coming by to take a look at "Journey Home," pick up some giveaways and, for many of them, long conversations about why I made the film and what I hope it'll do.
It was a phenomenal day!
However, one moment stands out the most to me.
A young, brown-haired girl, who may have been about six-years-old, picked up a picture of the "Journey Home" movie poster and looked at it, while her mother talked to me about the film.
Seeing the girl look so intently at the picture I said to her, "That sea turtle's name is 'Trace," to which she nodded slightly. A moment passed and I sensed that she wondered about his missing front flipper.
"His story is in the movie," I said. "He was caught in old fishing line and lost his flipper from it."
She looked at me and then at the television in front of me that was playing "Journey Home" on a loop.
I had no idea at what point in the film it was, as I couldn't see the screen and had turned down the volume because Mike was playing a set of his music.
In a tiny voice she asked me, "Is that 'Trace?'" and pointed at the screen. I leaned around and sure enough, there was Trace, about to be released back into the ocean.
I smiled and told her that yes, that was him and watch very carefully to see how his story ended. Without a sound she watched as Trace was carried into the water and then (as the camera follows him under the water) she watched Trace swim away, into the aqua-green sea, on his Journey Home.
Her smile lit up the whole area...so did mine.
I think I have at least one new fan from today.

Cheers,
- Rick

 
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"Journey Home" will be running as a "sneak peek" at Turtle Fest (Loggerhead Marinelife Center) Saturday, April 13.

This is a great, HUGE event that has live music, arts and crafts, food and...well... ME!
Journey Home crew and Mike White will be there all day. Mike will be playing sets of his original songs from Journey Home next to our table, which will be showing the film on t.v.
Feel free to stop by, say "hi," ask questions, meet the turtles, eat a corn dog, jam to some great music ....or just hang-loose. :)

I'll be the guy in tie-dye and flip flops.  See you there!

Cheers,
-Rick

 
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Movie poster concept art.
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DVD cover concept.
 
For those of you who have followed the progress of this documentary since its beginnings in 2011, you might wonder at the finality of this next statement.
"Journey Home" is completed.
I know I've said that once before and fate would stand up and prove me wrong...but this time I'm 98.75% sure.
Those who know me personally know that I pull no punches with honesty. In fact, as it pertains to this film, I've shared so many "ups" and "downs" one might rightly think the film was a Soap Opera rather than a documentary.
If you are "new" to the project (as in, you began following these blog updates later than September of last year), you may have no concept as to the first version of "Journey Home" or the events that transpired to necessitate a re-shoot. To be honest, none of that matters now.
"Journey Home," as it is now, is an extraordinary film. It is completely different from the older version and is a much more "complete" story about Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) and sea turtle rehab.
So, what's my 1.25% trepidation? Honestly, I am waiting for some "other shoe to drop." As a filmmaker it's hard for me to look at my completed works objectively. I do know that if I like something of mine - and like it a lot - chances are it's pretty damn awesome. But my cooperation and standing agreement with LMC means they have to love it, too. After all, the final film will be sold through them, with 100% of the profits going to save sea turtles.
I did a private screening of the "rough cut" with admin staff from the center today. As they watched the film I could feel my pulse quicken. Would they like it? Would they like it as much as I do?
Those who viewed it today had nothing but the highest praise for the film. They complimented aspects of it that I worked very hard at to get them "just right."
However, for the center to fully sign-off on the film and give it their stamp of approval, it needs to be viewed by LMC leadership and their head veterinarian. I don't doubt they will like it but I know they're looking at it for the details. Are the sea turtle facts correct? Does the film project the themes and mission of the center correctly? I did my best to achieve those goals but I'm also gun-shy about having another new and drastic hurdle to overcome.
Now, I just have to sit back and wait.

Cheers,
-Rick
 
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Me and William Shatner in 2011 at Emerald City Comic Con
So, here I am editing the film together and loving the visuals beyond measure. Then I recorded some narration....and I realized that I hate the sound of my voice.
The narration is a necessity and, if I had a time machine and about $4K in change lying around, I would gladly have paid someone to do it.
"No," I assured myself, "You can do the narration. I mean, hell, you talk to yourself all the dang time anyway."
Part of my problem stems from being hearing-impaired. I no longer have stereophonic hearing and my "good" ear has significant loss. So, things just don't sound right when I listen to them through headphones.
My other - larger - problem is that I have the acting ability of a wet turnip. So, although I'm pretty clear in what I say, I don't feel the delivery inflects any emotion.
I'm still working on it and I seriously hope I'll get there.
However, if for some reason I am unsatisfied and it's the day before I'm supposed to have the rough cut finished, I'm going with a William Shatner delivery and echo effects...lots of echo effects.

Cheers,
-Rick