When NASA launched Voyager I and II in 1977, their original mission was only five years. While their mission was straightforward- to visit Jupiter and Saturn and hopefully other planets and moons along the way- their trek through the solar system to take advantage of a certain planetary alignment was anything but linear, as it required precision monitoring and communications by a team of scientists and engineers, dedicated to their success and longevity.

The accomplishments of the Voyager missions are well known, but what still astounds those of us who have followed their journey since inception is that we are still in communication with these probes decades later, as they journey out of the solar system. Although their signal may be weak, there’s nothing weak about their resolve to continue.

In the opening credits of First Signal, as our POV travels towards the solar system, we quickly come upon and pass Voyager 1. Our POV continues, like the Voyager probes, passing other planets to eventually “land” on Earth. If you’ve seen First Signal, you may have seen these opening credits as a reverse of the Voyager mission. That was exactly my intention, as it is to continue to “signal” this film to its audience. By signal, I mean marketing.

This past week, I received our quarterly payment from First Signal’s distributor, Indie Rights. Although First Signal was released over five years ago, the film continues to resonate in the market and on VOD platforms because of its ongoing weekly marketing program. I often wonder why so many filmmakers literally cease marketing and showcasing their film months after its release. Don’t they want to get a financial return? Have new audiences discover their work? Nobody is suggesting daily marketing for years and years, but a weekly post, a video clip, and some good copy can turn minutes of work into thousands in revenue. This isn’t about bragging; it’s simply about being proud of your work and keeping it alive. I also know the same effort is cut out for me when SOS United States is published. If I want people to read it, it’s not just about being on Amazon and other platforms; it’s about creating a marketing campaign that drives awareness, traffic, and orders.

I remember those early days of my work as a filmmaker. No sooner had I finished the short film version of First World than I was presenting it at sci-fi conventions in several countries. I then pitched it to a fledgling VOD service called Hulu, which picked it up in its early days. Then I made the short film version of Justice Is Mind, Evidence, which led to the feature and an international premiere on an ocean liner. From those days of sci-fi and mindreading, I then turned back to figure skating with the screenplay Serpentine and produced a short film version to highlight the project. Curiously, years after that project was created, the short film version will screen in a couple of weeks at a film festival in Los Angeles, while the script will be presented for a prestigious award at the same festival.

This year, I’m particularly proud of the script for Serpentine. After I initially wrote it in 2016 and produced the short film version in 2017, a marketing plan led to some great media opportunities. I soon returned to the corporate world and set that project aside for a while.  But after attending the World Figure Skating Championships in 2025, the story felt even more relevant. After some updates and film festival submissions, I couldn’t be more pleased with how the script has performed. With 11 wins, 5 finalist selections, and 12 official selections, the festival circuit still has several months left. My thanks again to the juries that have selected this political thriller based in the world of international figure skating.

Next project.