Kiite Records releases Cato’s score to “Claustrophobia”

On February 1st, 2011 Kiite Records is releasing worldwide Cato’s score for the psychological thriller feature film “Claustrophobia” as a ‘digital’ release through iTunes, Amazon.com (incl. CD on demand), Napster and other digital music services.  The ‘ambient/ethereal to electronic/noise/industrial’ 13-track score, written and produced by Cato, underscores the bizarre story of Tim, a deaf photographer and homeowner in deep trouble (played by Russell Harvard, who appeared notably in “There Will Be Blood” playing Daniel Day-Lewis‘s  adult son).  The film will be released through VOD on the same day, available to around 12-14 million households in the U.S., and is available with ‘full captioning’ for the deaf and hard of hearing communities.   A list of specific systems where the film can be ordered will be available on the first day of the release.

LA-based film & television composer, recording artist and remixer Cato got started by tweaking modular synthesizers, inspired by artists and composers such as Klaus Schulze, DAF, Throbbing Gristle and Arnold Schoenberg.  He has written music for feature films including “Stone” (Robert De Niro) and “Smokin’ Aces” and has tracks featured in television shows like “Dexter” and “Girlfriends”.  Cato wrote the scores for the features “Mini’s First Time” (HBO Films), “Semper Fi: One Marines Journey” (Showtime) and the “The Kennedy Detail” (Discovery).  He also releases artist projects (“Eccotonic”), remixes (“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps“) and his music is featured in hundreds of trailers and commercials (“Tron: Legacy“, “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows“, Ford and Budweiser).

website: www.musicbycato.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cato/48307588600
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/musicbycato
twitter: https://twitter.com/iCato
soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/musicbycato
IMDB: http://www.imdb.me/cato

CROWD FUNDING & VOD

Having launched our crowd funding initiative a little more than a week ago, I’m encouraged by the very positive response.    It is interesting, however, that having sent out several hundred e-mails to friends and colleagues, it still requires a more personal appeal to get people to take action.  It seems that we are so inundated with all types of communications these days, that unless we act immediately when we receive them we tend to forget.   The upside is I get to have a conversation with people I know but am not necessarily in regular communication with.  That’s definitely a plus on both a personal and professional level.

As far as our VOD release is concerned, I now have a preliminary list of systems and providers that will be carrying “Claustrophobia” starting on or around February 1st.      I will publish the full list shortly, but I can assure you we will be on many of the major systems throughout the US and Canada.  Most importantly,  every subscriber will have the option of watching thee film with and without captions.

 

 

 

VOD

Great news, everybody: We have a VOD deal!    I can’t give you all the details quite yet ( we still are working out the language of the agreement)  but I can give you the broad outlines.    The film will available both with and without captions to somewhere  between 10 to 14 million subscribers starting approximately March 1 of next year.

Of course, as we get closer to the release we will be doing lots of promotion as will the various cable and internet system providers, but I wanted to give you all a heads up.    I hope to share even more good news very soon.   If you haven’t done  so already, please “Like” us on Facebook and look at the  trailers and clips and keep spreading the word: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claustrophobia-the-Movie/234225433848

Connections

Connections come in all kinds of shapes and forms and speeds.   We continue to add FB fans at steady pace which we hope will result in among other things, our first distribution deal.   I don’t want to say to much about it until it’s actually done, but it’s looking good.

And I’ve been blown away by the love and support I’ve received and the connections I’ve made simply by continuing to put the word out about CLAUSTROPHOBIA  in a number of different ways. (Social Media, Film Festivals, E-mails, and Word of Mouth.)   Catherine and Laura, my two partners in crime in marketing the film to the deaf community,  just came back from the World Deaf Cinema Festival in Washington where they were armed with postcards and screeners.   They  were able to make a number of valuable connections to various organizations, schools, and festivals that should help us in marketing and distributing the film to the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

Also, I went to the world premier last Sunday of HAMILL at the AFI Festival in Los Angeles.    The film stars Russell Harvard who also stars in CLAUSTROPHOBIA.    As a consequence, the success of one helps the other.   And the lesson, I think,  is that everything is connected .   And if you can identify  what that connection is ,  you can use it to create interest.

This and That

The Facebook fan numbers keep rising steadily.  We’re more than half way to our goal of 500 in 30 days but we still have a ways to go. If you haven’t signed up yet and want to check out the latest video clips           (both captioned and non-captioned), please do at:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claustrophobia-the-Movie/234225433848

By becoming a fan (Click the “like” button) and if you want,  post the link on your own page,  you’ll not only help to make the film available to everyone, but you will help to bring “Claustrophobia, ” to a large, deserving, and tremendously under served audience:  the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

We have a deal brewing with a major VOD (Video on Demand) company for a captioned release and we need your support to demonstrate that there is sizeable audience for this film.  What is particularly exciting about this deal is that it would to our knowledge be the very first widely available captioned VOD release in the U.S. and perhaps the world.

With your help we can make “Claustrophobia” the little movie that could. Now how exciting is that?

Spreading the word about “Claustrophobia”

In addition to letting everyone know about our Facebook Fan Page and getting ( enticing, inviting, asking, tempting, etc.) as many people as possible to visit and sign up as fans, I’m asking everyone I know (and many that I don’t) to help spread the word ( invites, e-mails, blogs, discussion groups, word-of-mouth, etc.).

Perhaps I’m repeating myself, but the more fans who “Like” us on Facebook and visit our YouTube Channel and post comments,  the quicker it will be possible for us to distribute “Claustrophobia” both with and without captions and to do so to as many people as possible on a multiple of platforms (Screenings, DVD’s and VOD)

Help me  make this happen.  Thanks.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claustrophobia-the-Movie/234225433848

YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/Claustrophobiamovie?feature=mhum

 

 

We need you’re help.

Facebook Progress Report

Five days after our official launch of the Claustrophobia Facebook  Page, we’ve nearly quadrupled the number of fans and attracted over 400 active monthly users.

Thank you.

Let’s keep spreading word. The faster we reach (or exceed) our fan goals (500 in 30 days) the quicker we’ll be able to make the film available in both captioned and non-captioned versions and on multiple platforms.

FACEBOOK Link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claustrophobia-the-Movie/234225433848

You can also visit  our YouTube Channel and see additional clips of the movie.

YouTube Link:  http://www.youtube.com/user/Claustrophobiamovie?feature=mhum

Social Media Launch

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we’ll be sending out e-mail blasts for our official launch in the next day or so of our Facebook Fan Page: Claustrophobia: the Movie.    The more fans who sign up, the quicker we’ll be able to bring the film to you on multiple platforms especially VOD, DVD and special theatrical screenings.   Stay tuned and sign on.

We’ll be updating with new content on a regular basis.

GLAD

Last Wednesday, I went to the grand opening of the Visual Communications Center at the Greater Los Angeles Agency for the Deaf (GLAD).    I was invited by Catherine MacKinnon, one of our producers and a member of the deaf community.   What an amazing facility which includes a number of state of the art visual communication devices to serve the needs of the community.

As a result of Catherine’s efforts, we are in discussions with GLAD about having a fundraiser/screener in their auditorium that will also be the world premier of the fully captioned version of “Claustrophobia.” Very exciting.

At the grand opening of the VCC, I had a chance to talk with a number of people on staff at GLAD and came away more convinced than ever, that marketing the film to the Deaf/ HOH community will not only result in very positive financial results, but will also help the important cause o  equal access to every kind of filmed and recorded entertainment.

I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity.

Shooting the Crowd Funding Promo

Last Saturday, 9/26, we shot the promo for our crowd funding initiative.  As soon as the piece is ready and we’re ready to direct everyone to the site, I’ll let everyone know.

But what I wanted to talk about was how wonderful the shoot itself was.  We shot it in Richard Marshall’s studio in South Pasadena.  And what really touched me was all the time, effort and energy that a group of my friends and colleagues put in to making it all happen.

In addition to Richard, we had my friend Chris Damadyan shooting the piece ably assisted by his brother Simon.   And we had Laura Harvey and Catherine MacKinnon, our two amazing marketing producers, appearing in the promo.  Laura also brought a second camera so that we could have behind the scenes footage as well as sync sound.    Last but not least, we had Catherine’s friend, Cat doing the on set ASL translation and helping out in every way she could.

We are truly blessed.

Of course it took more than twice as long as we had planned ( pretty much always the way ) but the results I think will be well worth it.

Chris is also editing the promo and we can hardly wait to see what he comes up with…and then having the pleasure and the excitement of sharing and showing it to everyone.