Yep. MAGPIE FUNERAL, my newest film, was almost dead on arrival. But hey, what independent film can’t say that? Here are three crazy stories about MAGPIE FUNERAL, now streaming on TubiTV, Amazon Video, YouTube, and Google Play.

Story One: TIMING IS EVERYTHING.

John T. Sweeney, Magpie Funeral’s producer, insisted that the production must start in mid-October of that year. I had the following January in mind. But John persisted. He explained it was imperative principal photography commenced on October 22, offering no good reason. I relented and the production began on that date.

After shooting in Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, the production wrapped. Exhausted, I made it back home relieved.

But five days after arriving home, I developed painful symptoms that sent me to the emergency room. The next day, now in the hospital, the bad news was revealed. Cancer in the left kidney – the bad kind.

I’m fully recovered and all is well, but if John would not have insisted the production start when it did, there would be no MAGPIE FUNERAL. When you’re faced with the unexplained, sometimes you have to go with it. Trust your gut. Thank heaven I did.

Story Two: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE POLICE SHOW UP?

All permits were in place as my production team proceeded to begin shooting our 23-day schedule. Three of those days involved shooting in an LA cemetery. The first two days went well. But on day three...not so much.

At about noon, nine police officers suddenly appeared and stormed our cemetery ‘set.’ Obviously, there was a miscommunication but the nine police officers were not receptive to explanations at that time. It quickly became obvious that the rest of the day was lost. We had to leave immediately.

The good news? The miscommunication was ultimately cleared up. We went back another day to finish the scenes we didn’t film. Whew. Another crisis averted.

Story Three: HOW DO YOU CAPTURE AN ACTUAL MAGPIE FUNERAL ON FILM?

I needed an actual magpie funeral for my film. It was required for a key scene, and after all, the title of the film is MAGPIE FUNERAL.

Early CGI (computer-generated imaging) tests were no good. So my quest to get a real magpie funeral on camera began.

First a little background; When a magpie is found dead by another magpie, it calls out. Soon five to six magpies surround the body of their departed friend. One magpie will then fly away and come back with several pine needles in its beak, laying them by the body as an offering. A ‘moment of silence’ is observed, followed by the magpies departing.

So how do you capture such an elusive event on film? I started by scouting cemeteries in my vicinity. The goal was to identify which cemetery had the most magpie activity. And I found one.

With camera equipment in tow, I naively visited the cemetery hoping to come across a dead magpie and film a magpie funeral.

No luck. For weeks. What was I thinking?

But one day, a miracle occurred. I spotted a dead magpie on the grass. Was this a recent death? There was really no way to know.

While setting up the camera, I heard magpies calling to each other. Two minutes later, a magpie funeral was underway – and I was capturing it.

The symphony of calls around me was deafening, quickly transitioning to reverent silence. I was looking through the camera not believing my eyes. It was magical. And you feel that magic when you see it in the film.

THE MORAL?

You guessed it. When in hell, keep walking. But seriously, your job as an independent filmmaker is to make your film – no matter what. The task is daunting, but if you have the passion, you can do it. So, what are you waiting for?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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