Josh Doke

When I was in the throes of post production on Goodland, I asked my then girlfriend (now fiancée), Ashley Sofia, if she would consider writing a song for the film. She said yes, and what she came back to me with was better than I could have ever even imagined - it was perfect. Now, almost three years later, we've teamed up again to make the official video for that very same song - "Make You Love Me Too" ... The song is confident and sexy and I wanted it to be doused in the same 1970's vibe that beats at the heart of Goodland. I had this idea that I couldn't get out of my head, of Ashley as a "wheelman" (or a "wheelwoman" rather) driving a stolen getaway car. I pitched her the idea, she loved it, and we were off to the races - both literally and figuratively. ... Cinephiles might recognize a tip of the cap to Walter Hill's 1978 film, The Driver, in the opening hot-wiring of the car. Yes, I realize it wouldn't be that simple, but hey, that's the magic of movies! ... So, without further ado, enjoy the video for "Make You Love Me Too"! Directed by yours truly and written / performed by the incredibly talented, @ashleysofiamusic . If you like what you hear (and you will), give it a share and be sure to follow Ashley's IG for more updates, of which there will be plenty to come in the near future!

In October of 2015, with pre-production drawing to an end and the production of my very first feature film coming up much quicker than I thought I could handle, I was terrified that I wasn't ready - that I wasn't prepared. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had made a huge mistake in involving all my friends, my hometown, and my loved ones in something I wasn't even sure I could pull off. ... Now, three years later with the release of Goodland on Amazon.com, it's easy to look back on that time with rose colored glasses and think about how exciting it all was - how much fun everyone had on set. But truth be told, it was a grueling process that I would never have been able to survive had it not been for the hard work and support of those around me. ... I can't thank all of those involved enough, but I'd especially like to thank my business partners, Edward Schroer and Iain Trimble, who came on board without a moment's hesitation. Our friend and producer, JS Hampton, for going along with all my crazy notions. Matt Weiss and Cinnamon Schultz Paulette for your time and incredible performances. Ben Yennie and Michael Ingram for believing in the film. My parents, Fritz and Susan Doke, for allowing us to not only invade their home, but their entire town, while constantly encouraging and feeding us throughout the duration. And last, but certainly not least, my amazing girlfriend, Ashley Sofia Polihronakis, who not only wrote and recorded an original song for the film, but was, and continues to be, my rock. ... As you might have gathered by now, the film is currently available to rent and buy on Amazon and it would mean a whole lot to me if you were to check it out and leave us a review. ... Thank you for your time and continued support! I sincerely hope you enjoy the film. ... Link in the bio. ... Photo Credit - @iaintrimble

GOODLAND is at The Screening Room in Buffalo, NY tonight at 7:30 EDT!

My directorial debut, GOODLAND, is playing at the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills at 10 pm PDT every night through the 17th.

COLORADO: Happy third birthday, Liam West. So many more adventures ahead. Thanks for capturing this moment, @ashleysofiamusic .

(5/5) DIRECTOR AS STAND-IN - This is why I am a huge proponent of extensive location scouts. While scouting for the film Goodland (@goodlandmovie ), my cinematographer came up with this composition and it ended up being my favorite shot of the entire film. It starts as a wide shot following a Jeep as it drives, turns off the dirt road, and comes to a stop just outside a dilapidated barn, where a nefarious character played by Jason Miller (@m1lleroo7 ) awaits. It’s really three shots in one and that’s why I love it so much. . Cinematographer - Iain Trimble (@iaintrimble )

(4/5) DIRECTOR AS STAND-IN - Here's another example pulled from a yet to be released promotional video for Nico Yoch (@nicoyoch ). The decision to shoot in black and white was made in order to match the overall aesthetic of the project...plus it's cool. . Cinematographer - Iain Trimble (@iaintrimble )

(3/5) DIRECTOR AS STAND-IN - Today's stand-in comes from a music video shot in 2013 for Ashley Sofia's (@ashleysofiamusic ) "Gold." These photos were taken by our set photographer Stephen Tafoya (@danger_stephen ) as we were framing up a shot with the camera out of frame to the left. Later, our editor, Edward Schroer (@ed_gene ) would painstakingly key out everything that wasn't gold, making it black and white. This video remains one of my favorite music videos we've ever done.

(2/5) DIRECTOR AS STAND-IN - In the early months of 2014 we embarked on a project that was meant to be an homage to two of the greatest science fiction films of the 1980s...RoboCop and The Terminator. We scrapped together all the resources at our disposal, shot on nights and weekends, and came out 8 months later with a fun fan trailer for RoboCop vs Terminator, or as we so affectionately call it, RCvT. This scene, which serves as the turning point in the trailer, was shot in a chiropractic office turned hospital. The framing was altered to add more mystery to RoboCop and to help hide the not yet finished upper torso portion of the costume that was still being worked on. . RoboCop - Mack Schroer (@macklinart11 ) . Cinematographer - Iain Trimble (@iaintrimble )

(1/5) DIRECTOR AS STAND-IN - As an independent filmmaker I often find myself standing-in for actors, either on a location scout or on set, as my cinematographer, Iain Trimble (@iaintrimble ), dials in the lighting and framing of the shot. More often than not, he'll snap a photo of me standing there not knowing what to do with my hands and send it to me after we've wrapped. So after almost a decade of collaboration, I thought it would be fun to compile a handful of these stand-in snapshots with frames from the finished project. This first example was taken by our set photographer Jaime Del Ryan (@ja.de.ry ) on the set of Nico Yoch's (@nicoyoch ) music video for "Ain't Stoppin" where Nico is planning a bank heist with...well...himself.

CHINA - The words needed to describe what stretched out before him would come. He had no use for them now anyway.

They told me to give them a "real" smile. I thought I was. #tbt