The JET Progress production of the film WINNOWING has just received semi-finalist recognition and an award in Iceland’s 2024 YETI FilmFest for Best Queer (LGBTQ) film — https://yetifilmfest.com/2024-semi-finalists. This follows a previous nomination by Brooklyn’s 2024 Nocturna Online Film Festival for Best Queer Film — https://nocturnafilmfest.com/2024-spring-results.

WINNOWING is a human drama about human perseverance in which an actor and actress are asked to do a final audition fo...

ACTOR Daniel S. Janik will play impuned Imperax Commander Michael Mylo, Imperax Captain-Major Brit Mylo and provide the voice of Captain-Major Kyle Westbrook in the upcoming JET Progress production of OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Universe”). Michael, the disgraced captain of the Astership Twilon, which abruptly disappeared during the crucial battle of Tylog-Tyle, returns with an intriguing but potentially deadly proposal from the other side of the ...

OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Universe”), a “new genre” Sci-Fu film about what happens to the human soul when Commander Michael Mylo, played by award-winning actor, Daniel S. Janik, accidentally discovers what’s at the other end of our universe. OTOSOTU now has its official first film poster! Co-starring 5-times awarded “best actress” Sakura Kai (aka Setsuko Tsuchiya) and internationally renown author, awarded screenwriter and actor Willia...

A few days ago, it was my pleasure to introduce voice actress Pam Hoffman, “The Voice of the Imperax Galactic.” Today, it’s my added pleasure to introduce renown author, screenwriter, actor, producer and director William Maltese. The recipient of four international “best screenwriter” awards for the film WINNOWING, Mr. Maltese is co-producer, co-director and co-cinematographer for the JET Progress production, OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Un...

IN my fervor to share the progress of OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Universe”), I’ve neglected sharing the continued success of JET Progress’ recently released drama, WINNOWING at https://winnowing.yolasite.com or, for the making of the movie check out https://janik.yolasite.com/winnowing.php or, for memorabilia the JET Progress Productions’ Cinematic Memorabilia, Gift and Collectables Shop at https://jet-progress.square.site.

WINNOWING, star...

IT’S my pleasure to introduce the first and newest cast member of OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Universe”), JET Progress’ newest film currently in post-production with a mid to late 2024 anticipated release date. OTOSOTU is a science futuring (Sci-Fu) film about the nature of the human soul. Pam Hoffman will be the official Voice of the Imperax Galactic.

Voice acting isn’t new to Pam, having played the voice of Odee, the BG Oil Drop, and provid...

AS you may well already know, OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Universe,” a science futuring film about the human soul) has finished filming and is now in post-production, meaning assembly, editing and polishing, at the moment having just transitioned to editing.

Editing is where the film, now assembled correctly, gets turned into a “real” film. In general, scenes are cropped; sounds are added, mixed and modulated; special effects are added; scene...

DRAGON EGG

SORRY to be absent from social media for a while, but here at JET Progress productions – https://jet-progress.yolasite.com – we’ve been extremely busy wrapping up filming (done!) and beginning post-production of OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Universe). Our current task is to transfer over a thousand takes to a single hard drive, rename them in order of movie sequence, and assemble everything into “raw segments.” Raw, many because...

THAT’S where JET Progress is currently in the production (filming) state of OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Universe, a Science Futuring drama about the human soul).

Science Futuring? There lots of science fiction and fantasy out there, so what’s science futuring? First it’s about science, which, by definition, is about anything repeatable. Second it’s about futuring; that is, plausibility, typically, future technologies or situations based on ...

TODAY was scheduled to be an OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Sew-Toe-Two” for “On The Other Side Of The Universe” - https://otosotu.yolasite.com) filming day in JET Progress’ Studio Two – the “Carol Mylo” scenes. However, last night the principal actress playing Carol, Sakura Kai, came down with a cold, and this morning sounds like a burly security agent, rather than the Dominie-in-Grey for the entire Imperax.

What is a Dominie-in-Grey you ask? Screenwriter William Maltese working with...

JET Progress, an independent film production company in Hawaii, currently offers two multi-award-winning films: CLEAN WATER, COMMON GROUND, winner of two-Telly awards, The Indian Independent Film Festival, and Saudi Arabia International Film Festival, and WINNOWING, winner of 30+ international film awards and semi-finalist in the Hawaii International and Washington Film Awards — https://jet-progress.yolasite.com. CLEAN WATER, COMMON GROUND is a documentary on water quality, and WINNOWING is...

MOVIES are a lot like families: They begin with the birth of something new, require lots of coddling throughout infancy, tolerance during toddlership, and frank but kind, constructive criticism during adolescence. OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” for On The Other Side Of The Universe – https://otosotu.yolasite.com) has now reached young adulthood, entering pre-production with intriguing, meaningful and mature character-and-scene concepts. During the December, the JET Progress product...

CNN reporter Ashley Strickland recently published an article entitled “Mysterious, fast radio bursts in space keep getting stranger (https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/world/repeating-fast-radio-burst-quirk-scn/index.html#).

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) — “bright, millisecond-long flashes of radio waves in space” — in their own right, are, in my opinion, quite mysterious enough. Known since 2007, FRBs seem to be “coming from distant points across the universe.” According to Strickland,...

DANIEL S. JANIK here, director and lead actor of OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two” which is the acronym for ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE UNIVERSE). I was recently asked what I thought would be the biggest challenge in filming OTOSOTU. Remember that OTOSOTU is a production of JET Progress, a small, independent production company in Hawaii — https://jet-progress.yolasite.com.

Well, the final scene will be one in which Michael Mylo will appear inside a spaceship with Brit Mylo, both roles w...

WITH the screenplay by WILLIAM MALTESE finally approved, JET Progress studios has begun preparing for production with the development of a second studio to film off-world scenes, and a new boom-based sound system for better clarity and noise suppression. Script read-throughs are anticipated to begin within the next 10 days.

“OTOSOTU presents several new challenges to us at JET Progress,” says Daniel S. Janik, director and lead actor. “We’re a micro-budget, small film production compa...

YOU heard right! International-award winning author and screenwriter, WILLIAM MALTESE will appear in the JET Progress production of OTOSOTU (“Oh-Toe-So-Two” for ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE UNIVERSE, a Sci-Fu film about the soul – https://otosotu.yolasite.com. And what you ask is Sci-Fu? Sci-Fu (scientific futuring) is a step beyond traditional science fiction and fantasy, involving totally plausible future scientific technologies of the future.

William Maltese provided the screenplay for ...

YEP! One needn’t look any farther than this High Definition DVD or better yet, a loaded Blu-Ray, of the classic film WINNOWING, winner of 30+ international awards. https://winnowing.yolasite.com. At under $US 25, with no country code, and no gratuitous violence, A “real” holiday gift! Starring Sakura Kai (Setsuko Tsuchiya) and co-starring Daniel S. Janik, this film about persistence is unusual from the start in that Sakura and I play not one, but two different roles and read six differe...

YES, you heard right. Now that the SAG/AFTRA strike is, well, almost officially over, meaning that I’m still awaiting the results of the ratification vote by my fellow actors and actresses, JET Progress has contracted with SAG to produce OTOSOTU (“Oh-Toe-So-Two” – ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE UNIVERSE), with filming scheduled to begin on 1 January 2024. In the meantime, preparations have already begun with the focus on addressing several technical issues associated with an “in space” ...

IT is my pleasure to announce that the JET Progress production of the movie WINNOWING with BURNT-IN ENGLISH SUBTITLES, starring Sakura Kai (aka Setsuko Tsuchiya) and Daniel S. Janik, is now available for free to the first 1000 viewers at https://youtu.be/YmRwN4yz760. This is in addition to the version with no or optional computer-generated subtitles. Burnt-in or “open” subtitles, unlike computer-generated ones, are perfect and allow for a significantly more enjoyable viewing.

WINNOWING, ...

TWO posts ago, JET Progress introduced Daniel S. Janik, the star of it’s third film, OTOSOTU (pronounced “Oh-Toe-So-Two,” an acronym for “On The Other Side Of The Universe”), a Sci-Fu* mystery-drama about the human soul. In it, Janik, a veteran of WINNOWING (2023), THE PERFECT ILLUSION (2022), THE MALTESE COLLECTION (2022) and STATIC (2021), will play Imperax Commander Michael Mylo. *Science (meaning “repeatable phenomena”) and futuring (meaning “plausible in the future to the...

BEING both a movie actor and director, as well as a movie affectionado, I'm well aware of the part that a good soundtrack plays in any and every movie, right down to the ability of "the right" music being able to, almost on its own, invoke viewer emotional attachment and garner views/sales. But I've often wondered exactly how much music also masks the acting and story. So, when world class author and scriptwriter, William Maltese, sent me a script for WINNOWING, I determined to make it an exp...

JET Progress, a Hawaii-based independent film production company, recently announced it’s second film, OTOSOTU (“On The Other Side Of The Universe”) — https://otosotu.yolasite.com — a sci-fu (science futuring) film about spirituality and the soul. Principal characters include Commander Michael Mylo, Captain-Major Brit Mylo and Carol Mylo, wife of Commander Michael Mylo, and Dominie in Grey of the known universe. The male lead will play both Commander Michael, Brit and the voice of B...

THAT’S right! As of today, the JET Progress production of the film WINNOWING has accumulated 30 international film awards including Best Concept, Best International Short Film, Best Experimental Short Film, Best Writer, Best Producer(s), Best Director, Best Sound Design, Best Original Score, Best Editor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Debut Filmmaker, winning four festivals! Now an internationally acclaimed movie, WINNOWING, is available on DVD, BluRay and fee-per-view streami...

IT’S my pleasure as director of the JET Production of WINNOWING -- https://winnowing.yolasite.com -- to announce the creation of a director’s cut. This novel “soft” neo-noir film features Setsuko Tsuchiya in her debut lead actress role with actor-companion Daniel S. Janik, together playing eight roles each from a screenplay by the incomparable author/screenwriter William Maltese. Incorporating storylines from six Maltese books, WINNOWING brings diversity to a new level and, I believe,...

AS films progress through the usual year or so of post-production, the work involved in editing, scoring, captioning, creating distribution formats (like DVDs, BluRays and streaming) and making plans for the “official” release, is often so intense, this period often becomes one of relative public silence. Not so with WINNNOWING. I regularly post about the film’s progress on my personal blog, WordPress, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram accounts, summarized at https://janik.yolasite.com/w...

FIRST, let me explain that living in Hawaii, we’re always alert to tropical hurricanes, like Calvin, that like to visit our islands this time of year through Christmas. Calvin is about halfway here and so far has been growing in intensity achieving Category Two status yesterday.

WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com — on the other hand is a JET Progress film production, currently in post-production. What they have in common is that as WINNOWING progresses through the film festival...

MY opinions expressed are typically those of but one of 336 million individual Americans spanning an increasingly disparate spectrum of opinions. But being a SAG actor, the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike, in fact, affects me not only as an inveterate film enthusiast, but also as an actor AND filmmaker.

As an actor — https://janik.yolasite.com/actor.php — it means a cessation of work in a field of endeavor not only my livelihood but my passion. Acting opportunities are rarely tightly consecut...

I recently posted regarding the film WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com — which I’m debut-directing, and which I’m hoping will become a classic in what I’m calling the post-modern “Soft” Neo-Noir movie genre. Never heard of it? That’s likely because it’s, I believe, unique to contemporary motion pictures.

One of the great challenges to creating a new film genre is the musical accompaniment. The big question at JET Progress — https://jet-progress.yolasite.com — r...

CALL me weird, but working on adding captions to the JET Progress production of WINNOWING -- https://winnowing.yolasite.com, currently in post-production with an anticipated late 2023/early2024 release, a mental picture actually did pop into my mind of living one's life with closed captions floating just above or below each person's image. Shades of Jim Carrey in THE TRUMAN SHOW! 

Actually, working on captioning for WINNOWING has been another education: First, I've often wondered watching mo...

IF you’re thinking nautically, nope. If you’re thinking the two-Telly-award winning short movie, CLEAN WATER, COMMON GROUND, however, you’re spot on — https://www.prlog.org/12970291-jet-progress-announces-the-worldwide-re-release-of-the-film-clean-water-common-ground.html. It is with the greatest of pleasure that I announce the resurrurection, re-mastering and re-issuance of one of a classic film that travelled the entire world in 1999-2000, this time in 16:9 HD, ready for yet another...

WINNOWING is a JET Progress production about an actress – Sakura Kai played by Setsuko Tsuchiya – and actor – Richard Andrews played by Daniel S. Janik – persevering together through a final audition for a part in an undisclosed “really big film,” currently in post-production with an anticipated release in later 2023 or early 2024. Based on a screenplay by pre-eminent author and screenwriter William Maltese, WINNOWING requires reading excerpts from six published Maltese works, inc...

WHAT, I’m not so sure though. Just kidding. I can say from personal experience that doing anything all yourself is more challenging, constructive and instructive. For example, I’ve recently taken up acting, and having starred in STATIC — https://ksmediagroupinc.com/the-static-movie — supported by an outstandingly professional team of cast and crew, movie making seemed amazingly easy. That’s what you get when working with a great team.

More recently, I decided to try my hand at movi...

MANY readers are aware of my premier debut as co-producer, director and co-star of the upcoming film WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com — scheduled for release in late 2023/early 2024. Not so many know about my 1999 Two-Telly-Award-Winning film that I executive produced, CLEAN WATER, COMMON GROUND — https://clean-water-common-ground.yolasite.com.

CWCG, a cinematic short that seems even more relevant today than during its inception, is a documentary about water and the environme...

JET Progress, an independent Hawaii film production company, is pleased to announce the release of two official movie posters and an official trailer for its upcoming film WINNOWING, currently in post-production with an anticipated “late 2023/early 2024” film release date.

The JET Progress production of the movie drama, WINNOWING is a film about human perseverance, following two actors through a difficult final audition for roles in an unnamed “Really Big Film.” 

MANY ARE CALLED; FE...

WE’VE long known that much of human behavior comes from the old adage, “Monkey see, monkey do,” but if this is true then the entertainment industry has done little to curb the escalating impulsivity and violence being experienced today. And yet, it affect billions of viewers and readers worldwide. In the past, as the owner of Savant Books and Publications, I vowed to produce books that uplifted the human condition without gratuitous sex or violence. That policy made Savant the powerhous...

IT’S all about the difference between “investment” and “gambling,” the contemporary world constantly and increasingly blurring the line. By my definition, an investment guarantees the principal, what’s variable is the return on investment (ROI). Gambling risks everything, including principal and return on principal [ROP(E) meaning accept a large and long enough gamble and you’ll likely hang yourself these days].

In fact, as owner of JET Progress, a movie production company, and f...

BEING an actor, author and the owner of JET Progress studios, I’m often challenged to define what constitutes entertainment in the contemporary world. It sounds like truism, but, in fact, defining entertainment, especially “healthy” entertainment is neither intuitive nor obvious as is often offered. Entertainment for one can be the abject opposite for another.

Thinking of mass entertainment, I catch myself falling on the Roman sword, so to speak: the “political” entertainment conce...

GOT your attention? And, no, it’s not a misspelling. By the Julian calendar it’s Friday, but, given my and my partner, Setsuko Tsuchiya’s actor work schedules, today is our day off this week, and it’s a promised day dedicated to Setsuko, aka Sakura Kai in the upcoming JET Progress production of WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com or for more behind-the-scenes gems https://janik.yolasite.com/winnowing.php.

WINNOWING, from the screenplay of the same name by renown author/actor W...

WELL, first off again, who’s Sakura Kai? Sakura Kai is a character in the JET Progress production of WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com, a new film, currently in post-production, scheduled for release in early 2024. Sakura Kai is an actor auditioning for “The Really Big One,” a movie that will singlehandedly make her career. But this is no typical audition. Sakura Kai must read, live, not one, but six audition scripts alongside movie character Robert Andrews. Only by reading a...

WELL, first off, who’s Richard Andrews? Richard Andrews is a character in the JET Progress production of WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com, a new film, currently in post-production, scheduled for release in early 2024. Richard Andrews is an actor auditioning for “The Really Big One,” a movie that will singlehandedly make his career. But this is no typical audition. Richard must read, live, no one, but six audition scripts with actress Sakura Kai. Only by reading and acting to...

CHEATING can have different meanings in different contexts. Cheating at cards, on taxes or on a partner isn’t what I’m addressing here. I’m writing about the technique of “cheating” in film-making.

The JET Progress production of WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com — was filmed almost entirely in a small indoor studio, the only backdrop being a black curtain (representing a curtained-in area inside an urban studio close to a major airport conveniently designed and located f...

The JET Progress production of the movie WINNOWING, about human perseverance, hope and accomplishment has just exited filming and entered post-production with an anticipated early 2024 release.

Filming for WINNOWING, a film by independent film production company JET Progress — https://jet-progress.yolasite.com — located in rapidly growing “Hawaii-wood” (Hawaii, USA ), has recently entered post-production with an anticipated early 2024 release. Based on internationally acclaimed autho...

JET Progress is currently seeking product placements for its film short, WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com — now in post production in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. A film about human perseverance and hope, WINNOWING features actor Daniel S. Janik and actress Setsuko Tsuchiya of STATIC — https://ksmediagroupinc.com/the-static-movie — fame in a film about two actors, stretching their acting abilities to persevere through multiple live, screening auditions for possible lead roles in a...

IT’S always a moment for celebration when a film reaches the point where it is ready to be listed on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) — IMDb is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online, including cast, production crew and personal biographies, plot summaries, trivia, ratings, and fan and critical reviews. [Sounds of Celebration in Background!] I’m pleased to announce that the JET Progress pr...

JET Progress is pleased to announce the immanent transition of the film WINNOWING — https://winnowing.yolasite.com — from production into post-production. This short, dramatic mystery about two actors stretching their acting abilities to persevere through multiple, live screening auditions for possible lead roles in an otherwise undisclosed “Really Big Film,” stars Daniel S. Janik and Setsuko Tsuchiya, each playing two different characters.

The Ultimate Audition: Two Actors; One Drea...

FIRST, I must profess that I’m anything but lonely for conversation. Between domestic life, my many friends and acquaintances, the social internet and my garden, lonely for conversation is more like begging for quiet. Still, being a former university educator, I couldn’t ignore an article in the newest edition of Science News entitled “Homework HELP? ChatGPT and other AI tools are poised to disrupt education” by Kathryn Hulick. After a somewhat obtuse read about how AI may or may not ...

PROGRESS on the filming of the JET Progress production of the film WINNOWING continues this weekend with the concurrent release of an official press release — https://www.prlog.org/12960168 — and the release of the first official poster — https://i.postimg.cc/T1z7BbvJ/Poster1.png.

Filming of the remainder of the indoor studio scenes is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday 14 April 2023, with a backup day on Sunday, 15 April 2023 if necessary. After completion of the indoor studio scenes, f...

OFFICIALLY, in the West, the new year begins on 1 January. Always does. Always has, at least as long as I can remember. True, there’s their lunar new year typically somewhat later, but still according in the middle of winter, which, to me, doesn’t seem like a great time to start a new year. So, for the past couple of years, I’ve been trying to “tune in” to the actual seasons and see if there might not be a more sensually sensible time for a new year to begin.

Anti it’s the first ...

AS many of you reading this know, Raymond Gaynor is the pen name of actor Daniel S. Janik. It all depends on which muse grabs my shoulder and holds onto it most tightly for the moment. In terms of acting, I’ve been doing less background acting these days, my acting interests focusing on the immanent release of THE PERFECT ILLUSION — https://janik.yolasite.com/theperfectillusion.php — and moving from pre-production to filming of WINNOWING — https://janik.yolasite.com/winnowing.php.

Th...

WITH the JET Progress production of WINNOWING well into pre-production, having addressed blocking, shortlisting, studio, camera and sound, the last remaining issue has been that of insulating the film set from noise. It would be easy to fall into the tourist idea that Hawaii, being a true paradise, must be so quiet as to enhance the sound of the trades in the coconut trees. Not so, even in Waikiki. One of the challenges to filming outdoors or indoors on Oahu is the high levels of light and so...

AS Actor Daniel S. Janik of STATIC — https://ksmediagroupinc.com/the-static-movie — fame (that’s author Raymond Gaynor of THE EDGE OF MADNESS — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — fame to my reader fans), I was elated to receive a “gift” from my author/screenwriter//actor colleague William Maltese of a wonderful script. Called Winnowing, it was written for myself and my author/actress partner, Setsuko Tsuchiya, also of STATIC fame. Winnowing is a short script for two actors, ...

HAVING had my moment on the big screen as lead actor in the multi-award-winning movie STATIC, I was gifted by author, screenwriter, author-and-actor colleague and friend, William Maltese, with an intriguing movie script, WINNOWING, written specifically for myself, Daniel S. Janik, and actress and life partner, Setsuko Tsuchiya. Thank you, William! In it Setsuko and I play not one but TWO lead roles in this story about an actor and actress auditioning for the “big” one, before two, hardene...