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Final Episode Completed

I'm very proud to have completed all 12 Episodes of the Lincoln is Back series.

Here's the final episode. It's a powerful episode where Abe worries Obama may share his fate and he tells Obama to stop worrying about popularity and lead!

The First Social Networking Ghost

One of my favorites of the 12 episode series. Abe in Vegas:)

Abe's Lookin' Good

Great day for Lincoln is Back. I felt like all the pain I put myself through taking expensive courses on how to properly set up a website for marketing really paid off today. It's greenscreen Photoshp but mighty cool.


Perhaps somewhere in deep space where aliens watch our lives in the web they'll think these are real.

Stand Tall With Abe

When someone joins Abe's Inner Circle we give them a free picture of themselves "Stadin' tall with Abe." They send is a jpeg leaving room for Abe like this great one from Tim.

We then merge Abe into the shot like this. Takes a little art skill.

At some point I will have a software guru automate the process for us allowing the site user to do all the heavy lifting.

What a Weekend

No time for Abe. A wedding and corporate job took up all my free time.

But Friday proved most productive for Lincoln is Back as you can see below when Abe visits New Orleans.

Favorite of the Series So Far

And likely to remain so. Something about my outrage with the food companies feeding us corn fructose which the human body can't digest really got me inspired writing this one.

First Three Episodes Live

Where's Kanye West when you need an editing break from LINCOLN IS BACK?





Doing a fictional series with current events is a cruel task master. No time to waste getting these on the web so enjoy and it's back to editing for me.

Lincoln's Lemonade

I shot Abe Lincoln yesterday. On film of course, lasted a solid 12 hours with 2 weeks of solid prep in screenwriting.

All in all we filmed 14 episodes for www.lincolnisback.com. Join!



Here's the star Tom Katsis getting into make up. A little pic corruption at the title shot but great vid. Guess Flip has a few bugs to still work out.

Cameron Escalante is Back :)

I'm very pleased to report, Cameron Escalante, one of the brightest and most popular kids from Kids Talk Politics DVDs 1 & 2 is going to appear in a our cross promotional video on both Kids Talk Politics and Lincoln is Back in our exciting scripted webisode airing in October (sign up now to get informed on air date) called LINCOLN'S LEMONADE. Script on blog below. It's going to be truly magical.

The above video has been seen by over 50,000 people. We loved it so much we remade it in HD which reset the count and it's already almost up to 5000 views again!

Watch for Cameron on the Disney Channel next month.

But for now we're proud you can watch her here:)

Lincoln's Lemonade

Here's the script for LINCOLN'S LEMONADE that we are filming this Saturday 9/12.






LITTLE KID pours a lemonade and drinks it.

LITTLE KID
Sure wish I’d get some customers.

A MAN steps up to the counter. All we can see is his white shirt and black pants.

MAN
Your wish is my command, youngster.

Little Kid happily pours.

LITTLE KID
One dollar, please.

MAN
For a lemonade?

LITTLE KID
It’s made with bottled water.

MAN
Water... in a bottle?

LITTLE KID
Yep.

MAN
Are pennies acceptable?

LITTLE KID
Hmm, I’m desperate. Hand ‘em over.

Man puts a bag filled with pennies on the lemonade stand.

MAN
That should do it.

LITTLE KID
This is way too many pennies.

MAN
It’s all right. I have lots of pennies. My face is on the penny.

Little Kid squints into the sun. The man is Abe Lincoln.

LITTLE KID
Why are you dressed like up Abe Lincoln?

LINCOLN (MAN)
Maybe because I am Abe Lincoln.

LITTLE KID
Nice to meet you, Abe. I’m Elvis.

LINCOLN
Nice to meet you, Elvis. I prefer to be called Abraham, by the way.

Little Kid and Lincoln shake hands.

LITTLE KID
We studied Abraham Lincoln last semester. He was kinda cool.

Lincoln downs the lemonade.

LINCOLN
Now that was my idea of cool.

Lincoln and Little Kid share a laugh.

LINCOLN (CONT’D)
Can you point me in the direction of Washington D.C.?

LITTLE KID
Huh?

LINCOLN
The capital. Not that I seem to have any control over where I travel in this great land of ours.

LITTLE KID
(points)
That way about 4000 miles.

LINCOLN
Thank you, young citizen.

Lincoln walks off and vanishes.

LITTLE KID
Mom! Mom! Mom!

Little Kid runs off.

THE END

This HD video will post to both LINCOLN IS BACK and KIDS TALK POLITICS in few weeks. Subscribe to this blog to see when the video is loaded.

Building Lincoln's Home

Put in a ton of work today building a new web home for Abe.

Here's the link to Lincoln's new home. It's still beta but not bad for an 18 hour days work! Proud of some cool historical photos I found and remade for the site.

Visit Honest Abe's General Store

Tommorw I have to call Lincoln Logs and see if they want to sponsor this page! Especially love this awesome under construction shot of the Lincoln Memorial.

Meeting Abe Lincoln

Having worked out of love for what amounts to minimum wages for 18 months and counting on an intensive cross country two DVD political project called KIDS TALK POLITICS, following the historic Obama's 2008 election victory and his first 100 days in office, the last thing I was looking to produce and direct next was anything political.

Indeed after a wedding late this month of the cutest couple I've ever met, my neighbors Shawn and Shauna, I am packing up my home in Agoura Hills and hitting the road for Wisconsin for six months to direct my first comedy feature JELLYBEANS, a $2 million production with the great producer Dan Grodnik, former CEO of National Lampoon. A comedy about the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about, the importance of sex in a happy marriage.

But when an exciting Internet marketing seminar came up I could not miss, I put out an email to a great filmmaker group I belong to called the Table and run by the great Marc Zicree, looking for a car pool to hitch a ride. I do this when it works out to save precious investor capital in these tough times, since I work at home and only rent cars for studio meetings. Necessity is the mother of green and good karma!

Little did I know President Lincoln, renowned Lincoln actor Tom Katsis, would answer my carpooling call. As I bought Tom a coffee at McDonald's and we rode from Agoura Hills to Santa Monica I was struck by how strong Tom's resemblance to Lincoln is, even out of makeup. And somehow, Tom has the charm about him of a modern day reincarnation of the great man.

So what began as carpooling, set off a blaze of inspiration to have Tom appear in one of my ongoing kids political videos on the web. And as the seminar progressed my mind raced and the Lincoln kid video grew into a full blown firestorm, a concept for a new half hour DVD to be released on the web using all I was learning from a great web teacher/filmmaker.

"What if Lincoln came back to life somehow?" I said to Tom. "Lincoln himself knows not why or how as he travels America." And so over some margaritas at the famous Adobe Cantina just outside Malibu and LINCOLN IS BACK was born.

As fan and student of Lincoln my whole life I was sure I'd write great scripts using his voice. I'm a little usually nervous when I write a great character, but not for Lincoln. His character is so strong it seemed to write itself from the man's genuine concern for America. It was like writing Lincoln's voice has been waiting for me my whole life. I hope you agree as Tom does I do the great Emancipator a humble honor.

Here then, dear followers, is the script for episode 1 of 15 coming to be filmed in Agoura Hills, CA on September 12th. Look for the videos this blog and our official web page, www.LincolnisBack.com, also in the works. Subscribe to be notified when videos begin to post of the amazing Tom Katsis as President Abraham Lincoln.

LINCOLN IS BACK

By Ken Sheetz

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

A perfect day. A bird flies past.

LINCOLN (V.O.)

Seven score and four years ago life was violently taken from me.

President Lincoln fades into view before the White House. Abe looks at his hands, amazed he has taken solid form.

LINCOLN (CONT’D)

What act of God or Man grants the power for me to speak with you today... I know not. Therefore, let us speak quickly, a hard thing for any politician, as I do not know when I might leave you.

President Lincoln takes a moment to gaze at the White House.

LINCOLN (CONT’D)

My Washington home looks much as it did during my Presidency. But an African American family as the occupants is a staggering change.

President Lincoln turns back to face us and wipes a tear.

LINCOLN (CONT’D)

How incredibly far the sons and daughters of slaves have come. Indeed the honored dead of our Great Civil War gave birth to a new freedom. Sadly however, Barack Obama, deep into his first year as President, has lost his way on the trail of leadership. Guns and assault weapons at town hall meetings over the debates for health care? An outrage.

Lincoln pounds his fist into his palm.

LINCOLN (CONT’D)

What, I ask you, America, do our Second Amendment rights to bear arms have to do with health care? For the protection of the people and himself, it behooves the Young President to take a stand against such inappropriate displays of naked intimidation.

Lincoln lets his anger cool with a wry smile.

LINCOLN (CONT’D)

In my day, should a citizen take ill, physicians might use leeches or let blood for healing. In my day all remedies were homeopathic.

President Lincoln turns serious once again.

LINCOLN (CONT’D)

Not so in this 21st century of modern, but costly, miracles. A time where life expectancy has doubled for Americans. But lest you become complacent know that America no longer leads the free world in health care. And how is it that America stands 37th on the World Health Organization list? One word will suffice to answer: Corporations.

Determined, President Lincoln looks straight at us.

LINCOLN (CONT’D)

As my untimely end of office drew near, using the incredible wealth that the Civil War bought them with the blood of our soldiers, corporations hired what were called “borers.” A term also used for rats chewing their way through one’s home. A term which has since been replaced by the more genteel “Lobbyist.” The Borers mission was to chew away at the laws that protected Americans from the abuse of power by corporations. Only one year after my death, through a clerks error in the case of “Santa Clara County versus Southern Pacific Railroad,” a case where there was not even a ruling, the misleading notes of said clerk came into use to establish corporations as a “natural person.” Corporations. There is nothing natural about -- I, I am sorry... I feel myself leaving you. I hope one day soon we can continue our...

Lincoln’s voice echoes as he vanishes before the White House.