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Squid Brothers, in essence
began as a bond between friends many years ago when Dale, Lou and
I first met in college. We all attended NIU in the late 80's. (How
scary is that?) We met when I joined a fraternity that they had
already pledged a few semesters earlier. Instantly we bonded due
to our interest in acting and film but it wasn't until after
college that we became much closer friends. As much as we liked to
believe that someday we'd be rich and famous movie stars we each
had interest in being independent business owners. Little did we know we would end up
being independent filmmakers!
Upon graduating, we
each started entrepreneurial careers in similar industries. I opened a
mortgage company with another friend while Dale ran a number of
businesses including real estate investing, mortgage financing, and a
hair salon he co-owns with his mother. Lou went into management for
Microsoft where he maintains an independent spirit while managing his
accounts and time. The experience as
independent business owners was phenomenal for us all, but something
was missing. And although we each pursued acting or directing classes
and Dale some print modeling and industrial work, our interest in film
never faded.
In 1998 I decided I needed to move on. As much as I loved managing my
own company, my passion for acting and film grew stronger every day.
My business partner and I sold our mortgage company and by January of
1999 I packed up and headed to Los Angeles. It didn't take long to
learn how difficult it was to break in, especially with my limited
experience. As I got familiar with LA and the business side of the
entertainment industry I soon realized that the only way I could truly
control my creative future was to write my own material. I began
writing in January and by April when I finished my first script I
proposed a new and exciting opportunity to Dale. By July of 1999, we
pooled our money, hired a director, scouted locations and starting
casting for our first independent feature film.
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