It was a whirlwind weekend. I was headed to LA to the press junket for Indigogo film The Bounce Back and to meet actor and producer Shemar Moore when a plane crash at SFO delayed many flights and caused panic over the city. Counting my blessings, I arrived about 3 hours late, but only missed part of the party, the best part was yet to come.

One of our group members, Jamie taped this fabulous interview with Shemar about the film…

Before everyone went their separate ways, we grabbed a group photo.
Plus a one on one shot that I immediately sent out to my social media channels.Just in those few minutes I found Shemar to be charming, fun-loving, and genuinely happy to be with us, a media group like no other!

As the interviews concluded, a few of us headed to the war room in the Hyatt, Century City awaiting Shemar and slowly his crew began showing up.  Anticipation for the Twitter party was rampant online as fans were eager to “see” actor Shemar Moore make his appearance via the live interaction.

Shemar arrived and we began our venture into a live Tweet chat with a celebrity of his caliber.  In no time the #ShemarMoore hashtag was trending worldwide and his fans were throwing out questions left and right and Shemar did his best to keep up with all the excitement.  I had my phone out as well as my laptop and I was tweeting and retweeting my heart out and trying to filter comments and replies from men and women all over the world who admire this fine actor and who want to support his new project!

Shemar had his manager and some other associates with him in the suite with us and they were all in awe.  Fascinated by the fanbase but also by the whole virtual world that we as social media have brought him into,  they asked us to explain this phenomenon they are so new to.  This was Shemar’s first live Twitter party and the overall experience couldn’t be more thrilling for us all, not to mention hugely successful!

Following the party, Shemar filmed a quick video thanking his fans for their loyalty and support. Not to mention a couple of us bloggers got a shout out and some screen time!

You’ve read my posts about The Bounce Back movie campaign, now read another perspective on why YOU should invest your money in this film, it’s written by Erica Pena-Vest:

Disclaimer: I am only a social media volunteer for the Bounce Back film campaign and am have not been asked to write this. My opinion is entirely my own and not meant to be representative of Shemar Moore, the Bounce Back film or its affiliates.

We are reaching the home stretch of this journey and I have often, during this process, heard people ask “Why should I give money to the Bounce Back Indiegogo campaign?”. It’s a legitimate question. One I’m going to try to answer and pray that you can better understand the importance of the campaign I am working on.

Movies are made everyday. Money comes from all kinds of places. Studios, investors, companies, sponsors…there are a million ways to raise money, so why go to the fans? Shemar has answered this over and over, but somewhere in the back of our heads we’re worried he’s ‘acting’ or telling us what we want to hear. It’s ok to admit it. I thought the same thing when I first heard about this project. He’s a wealthy man, and this movie is not a charity. The movie will make money as will it’s stars, so why should we get involved? What do we get out of it?

I can’t tell you how many times, as a blogger, I have been disappointed in a movie, especially this summer. My favorite movie as a kid was the original Superman with Christoper Reeve (remember that one?). When it was remade, I hoped (secretly I prayed) that it would be everything I wanted it to be. I wanted the feel of wonder, excitement, virtue and a return to the only truly altruistic character that has ever existed on screen (other than Christ). I was badly disappointed. The Superman I remembered and loved had turned into a Hollywood production of violence, confusion, betrayal and my hero even lacked the virtuous character he was known for. What happened? Have we really become THAT audience that is cynical and no longer believes in virtue and love?

That’s where the Bounce Back came in for me. Here’s a chance to help make a movie, have a voice, be at the screening, meet the star and director, have influence on a movie that is about the most basic and human concept in existence – LOVE. If ‘they’ the producers screw this one up, well, I might not believe in movies any more.

But I’ll be real honest, I know Shemar. I’ve met him, as have some of my friends and we can tell you one thing. That man IS LOVE. Everything about him eludes love, sensuality, sexuality, and sensitivity. I’m not even saying this as a fan. I am a fan, but you only need to spend two minutes with Shemar and you no longer feel that ‘I’m-about-to-faint-because-I’m-so-excited’ kind of feeling. It’s more like you just met the cute guy at the diner or you had a date with the quarterback of the football team. He’s real. He’s approachable. He’s the dream come to life. He’s the PERFECT leading man.

That brings us to the Bounce Back. Sure they could have gone to Hollywood for the money, but by coming to us, we have a voice. We can be part of something that’s going to change the way Hollywood sees us, the consumer. Right now, we are a $9.50 movie ticket to them, but after this, we are Hollywood producers and maybe, just maybe, they will start listening to what we want we think, what we want to see, what we believe in, who we want as a lead actor…and maybe next time, they won’t mess with Superman. Maybe. But we won’t know until we try. They won’t know what we can do, until we show them.

Let’s make this love story happen for Shemar, because it’s our love story. It will always be ‘our’ love story. No one will ever be able to take that from us. This will always be the time when we showed Hollywood that if only they would come to us, listen to us instead of talk down to us, we could truly make magic.

I can’t think of a better person to make magic with and for than Shemar Moore. Who’s with me?

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-bounce-back/x/3649609?c=home

I’m going to make an investment, can you?

All opinions are my own, I was not paid for this opportunity, we did receive a goody bag with promotional items.

My mom is an AVID watcher of the soap opera, The Young and the Restless, so I’ve known who Shemar Moore was for quite a while (you may also be a huge fan of his role as Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds).  He sure packs a punch in the looks department and he’s a fabulous actor!  When I told my mom I was working with other fabulous bloggers on a campaign to support the funding of “Malcolm Winters‘” new film, her eyes widened and she let out a gasp and a “WHAT, WHO, WAIT from my soap?!” She’s already said she’s jumping in my suitcase if I have a chance to meet him…we’ll get to that in another post!

Nonetheless, Shemar Moore is heading up a project to fund an upcoming movie called, “The Bounce Back.”  Out of loyalty and of of his fans, he is reaching out to them (and us in social media) to ask for help in building this movie up from ground level with a smaller budget than most Hollywood films of this same caliber.   His ultimate goal is to raise half of the money through Indiegogo and he’d personally come up with the other half, thus beginning production immediately!

About the Movie

“The Bounce Back” is a heartfelt romantic comedy about finding the courage to love after love has let you down.

When I read “The Bounce Back” – that very same issue was at the core of the script and the character, Matthew Taylor. I saw a lot of myself in Matthew, although I’ve never written a book (but I’m thinking about it now, hint, hint). I felt a kindred spirit to what Matthew was going through and my own life. Matthew loses his wife, his first love and after a short recovery creates a best selling book and a system of survival in order to shield himself from the pain. He throws himself into a year long speaking tour.

That system of survival; his book and speaking tour, keeps him from falling in love again when he meets the perfect girl, the beautiful and zany Kristin Moreland. Matthew realizes that he has to renounce his book and the world he has created around it in order to take the big unknown plunge of letting himself fall in love again.

I think there is a wonderful poetry to that, the idea of risking it all for love. And I feel, in my heart, that is why we’re here on this planet. To love. After I put down the screenplay, “The Bounce Back,” I knew I had to make this movie simply because I believe in love all the way down to the fabric of my being.

Now check out this sneak peek!

I was asked to participate in this campaign by the Bounce Back Film Campaign as part of a first-of-its-kind blogger initiative. I will cover the making of the movie from fundraising to premiere throughout the next year. I am being provided promotional material, giveaways and exclusive interviews but this is not a paid post. As always, my opinions are my own.