This year I began realizing that "Will it Blend" was gong to be my life for a while. I still work for Blendtec full-time in the Marketing Department producing videos to promote the blenders, including an upcoming infomercial starring Scott Christopher and Shaunna Thompson, featuring Chef J Warren and Shawn Phillips.

During 2007, "Will it Blend"was nominated for a YouTube award, nominated for a Cleo, Tom Dickson (the blender man) earned Ernst & Young's Entrpenuer of the Year, Will it Blend ended up on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as many other shows. "Will it Blend" became .Net Magazines Viral Video campaign of 2007 and ended the year as the number 12th most watched video series on YouTube totaling over 70 million views world wide.

On March 5th, Will it Blend will be featured on the History Channel on a show called Modern Marvels. They have a segment called "The Worlds Strongest" and will feature Blendtec as the worlds strongest blender.

The web master for "Will it Blend", Ray Hansen and I, as a joke, tried to return a video camera we blended for one of our videos. We set up several hidden cameras at Best Buy and produced a funny video short of Ray trying to make his case. This video became a hit on YouTube, but had to be pulled due to pressure from Best Buy.

We eventually showed the short film on KJAZZ television on "B All Over" and became a hit with the show. Ray and I went on to produce about 6 other segments for the show, including "Mr. Mallfountain" and "To Catch a Shopping Cart Neglector". You can see these videos on kelsandray.com (they can be pretty stupid, tread lightly).

Got to see Rush in concert this year (but that has absolutely nothing to do with LDS Cinema, but it was good to see the the boys again).

I spent a lot of time with Rob Diamond filming several shorts including "Cinders of my Soul", a piece that surrounds the hard issue of child abuse, and "$1.11" a film about a Christmas Miracle for a sick young boy.

Also with Diamond came the completion of "Tears of a King: The Latter-Days of Elvis". We had a viewing on December 20 to a limited, yet very full, audience with nothing but praises for the film. I was actually quite surprised. I have suggested several changes, but all in all, it is now awaiting distribution. I was both producer and director of photography. With what limited crew we had (I was even my own gaffer) I feel that photographically, it is one of my best works.

Two projects are on tap. First is the boy scout action film currently titled "The Last Eagle Scout". I have been writing it for 5 years and finally completed it (I hope it doesn't take that long to shoot it). Because it is a political satire as well, I have to continue to change it with the on-going political climate we live in today. I am takingthis project slow and determined not to crank this out on a 2 to 3 week shoot schedule.

The second project is entitled "Savage Island". Daryn Tufts is nearly finished with the script and investment is advancing as I write. The story is about my fathers mission, the first missionary of any religion to Niue Island. I am sure that I will hear "all we need is another mission story". I said that to myself a long time ago, and I agree to a point. But first I feel that in honor of my father that I pursue this project, and second, it WAS like no other mission. As a hint, have you ever served a mission where you had to carry a hand gun? Nuf said.

I hope to have the Ampersand Films website updated and on-going by the LDS Film Festival time with all this information. I encourage all of you to go to the festival and participate.

There are those that feel that LDS Cinema is dying. In reality, LDS Cinema is small enough for you to make it a difference, and big enough for it to not die. I feel that LDS Cinema is simply evolving, now entering a new phase, not necessarily good nor bad, but what we make it.

Kels Goodman
www.ampersandfilms.com
www.kelsandray.com
www.willitblend.com