At an early age, I decided I was going to be a writer. Somewhere along the way, I also took a strong interest in filmmaking, and being very ambitious, by the time I was 20 years old, I developed a clear vision of myself as novelist and filmmaker. While I have made great strides on achieving those dreams over the years, I must admit that I have a long way to go in seeing them through; nonetheless, those dreams have driven me into situations that I never would have imagined, and while I’ve not yet fully accomplished those missions, I feel very fortunate to have progressed as far as I have.
By pursuing the opportunities that have come my way over the years and applying my talents, my writing achievements and my reputation for success have opened many doors. One of them opened in the early 90s when a young Orlando filmmaker named Bill Waxler decided he wanted to produce and direct a 16mm short film based on something I’d written. Delving into my past experiences, I wrote a script for a dramatic short which I entitled “Bumper Crop,” and in that story, I also explored the power of dreams to affect a person’s life. After recovering a VHS dub of a 15-year-old edit of the film earlier this year, I began anticipating some plans… which are now playing out today.
In recent weeks, I have done some writing about the process of bringing the film to life — you can find them here if you’re interested:
- February 22, 1991: Bumper Crop, Part 1
- June 29, 1991: Bumper Crop, Part 2
- February 26, 1993: Bumper Crop, Part 3
In honor of Bill Waxler and the many other great friends who helped bring the film to life in 1993, it is my honor today to proudly announce a new website where “Bumper Crop” will soon live online. You can find it at this address: https://www.darnellworks.com/bmovie. I hope you enjoy it, and that you have many chances to dream — and to pursue the dreamy aspirations you hold most dear.
