
SHORTS
SHORTS
Oscar-winning Producer, Kieth Merrill says:
"As a producer I get inundated with queries, but the link to your own site and classy presentation of your material is impressive and appreciated. Just wanted you to know that you stand out in a crowd."
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ABOUT - Long Version.
1970 - 1975

Mike Boss (originally known as Daniel Maurer) is born in Toronto, Canada, in 1970.​
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Mike: "Yes, I was born in Toronto because my Swiss parents stayed in Canada for a few years, and that's when I came along. I have no recollection of ever being in Canada, but since I was born there, I'm not only a Swiss Citizen but also a Canadian Citizen."

Mike is the second child. His brother, Stefan is 20 months older.
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Mike: "My brother was also born in Canada, and although we grew up together in Switzerland and became very different people, we're still pretty close. Stefan is married, has one kid of his own, and still lives in Switzerland."


Shortly after Mike's brother was born, their Swiss parents, Peter and Esther, move back to Switzerland.
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Mike: "Both my parents were originally born in Switzerland. They only lived in Canada for a few years as an adventure. I guess I was about one year old when they moved back to Switzerland."

Lausen, BL​​
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The family arrives in Switzerland and settles on a farm in Lausen, which is in the Canton of Baselland near Basel.​
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Mike: "My memories of this farm are great. It was a two-family house, so I grew up with my brother and our two cousins. We didn't farm ourselves, but we always watched the farmers do their work." ​​

Mike and his brother live at this secluded farm for the next 10 years. The village is about a 20-30 minute walk.
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Mike: "This really was a great place for us to grow up. We spent most of our time outside the farm doing all kinds of shenanigans, playing sports, and going into the woods."
1975 - 1980

At the age of six, Mike and his brother attend Kindergarten in Lausen.
Mike: "I don't remember much about Kindergarten, but I do remember, walking down to the village every day (20-30 min.) with my brother, by sunshine, rain, storm or snow." ​​​

After one year of Kindergarten, Mike attends Junior High school for the next five years.
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Mike: "I never had a problem with school, I just went there and learned what I needed to learn. My brother and I walked there in the morning (25 minutes), then we walked home for lunch, then back to school, and then back home again at the end of the day. Yes, there was much walking during all four seasons, but I never questioned it. It was a daily adventure."

Mike is a good student with good grades and an exceptional talent for sports.
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Mike: "Yes, I had good grades, and I did what I had to do, but I was always more interested in sports. Maybe because I was always the smallest kid, I made up for it by excelling in sports."

Mike's father encourages him and his brother to start doing gymnastics. Mike loves the challenge and the discipline and soon starts winning competitions.​
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Mike: "Gymnastics was fun, and I was good at it, but I always had my eyes on soccer. Unfortunately, my dad thought soccer was too dangerous."

Mike turns 10 years old and enjoys a happy childhood.
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Mike: "Yes, I had a happy and innocent childhood so far. I was good in school, enjoyed playing outside the farm with my brother and my two cousins, and I enjoyed sports. There was no Internet, no cell phones, no computers, and we weren't allowed to watch TV."​​
1980 - 1985

At the age of eleven, Mike's parents announce their divorce. He and his brother move down to the village with their mother and visit their father every other weekend on the farm.
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Mike: "This was a surprise announcement, but for some reason, I wasn't disturbed by it. We relocated down to the village, closer to school and our friends, and our lives continued. But to be fair, I remember seeing my mom being in much pain during the divorce, and I saw my father being suicidal, which might has affected me subconsciously much more than I know."

Mike (#65 in the pic) switches from gymnastics to track & field and soon becomes a multiple-medal winner. Mike also skateboards and plays soccer, baseball, volleyball, ping-pong, and skis in the wintertime.
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Mike: "Sports is what I liked, and sports was what I was good at. Winning many different sports competitions gave me much confidence and a great reputation."

Mike's father is depressed and isn't able to recover from the divorce. A few years later he leaves Switzerland and emigrates to northern California (Scotts Valley) for a new life.
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Mike: "After my father told me about his suicidal thoughts, he announced his plans to move to America. He promised my brother and me to send some tickets when we turned 16 so we could visit him. Thinking about visiting America made the situation more than okay."

After finishing Junior High school, Mike attends four more years of secondary school in Liestal, Baselland. He peddles to school on his bicycle every day in every weather, 30 min. each way.
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Mike: "Secondary school wasn't much fun, and my grades declined. We had to learn a lot of things that struck me as boring and unnecessary. I still liked sports and started liking girls." ​​

After watching his first Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, and after overhearing a girl say: "Wow, what a man," Mike is inspired and starts weight training.
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Mike: "Going to the gym felt right. I worked out 6 times a week for the next ten years to create the body I envisioned. I liked the result, and so did the girls." (:
1985 - 1990

In spite of declining grades, Mike successfully finishes the mandatory 9 years of school and graduates in 1986. Mike also turns 16 years old and, as promised by their father, Mike and his brother, Stefan, receive a ticket to the United States of America!
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Mike: "School was over, and a new chapter had begun. There was much talk about deciding what I wanted to do for the rest of my life (job), but I was much more interested and excited to visit my father in the United States of America."​

Mike and his brother land in San Francisco and are picked up by their father and his new wife, Christie. The plan is to stay in Scotts Valley, rent a camper, and travel a bit.
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Mike: "This was a very exciting time and it didn't take long until I fell in love with the American culture. I was completely taken by the openness, the friendliness, and most of all, by the optimistic attitudes of the Americans. I was very happy in the "land of opportunity" and my soul felt at home!!"​

A few weeks later, Mike is back in Switzerland and is pressured to choose a profession for his future.
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Mike: "All my aspirations regarding sports or pursuing something creative were immediately dismissed and a more "realistic" approach was suggested. A career counselor persuaded me to start a 4-year apprenticeship to become a certified Civil Engineer Designer (draftsman). It turned out to be an unfulfilling experience, mostly because my boss treated me like a second-class citizen. Every day I joylessly sat at the office and counted the hours, until I started questioning the purpose of life. Four years later, and in spite of my pessimistic work environment, I successfully received my diploma in 1990."​

Mike turns 20 and it's time for the mandatory Swiss military service. In order to receive some money during his military service, Mike is "pushed" to sign a contract with his boss, which will have unforeseen consequences.
Mike: "The military was an interesting experience, and I liked the camaraderie and the challenges. After 17 successful weeks, I returned back to my boring office job where I realized that the contract my boss made me sign locked me in for another 2 years! Bad news!"​​​

Now, since Mike is locked in, things at the office get even worse than before. Mike's boss acts like a miserable tyrant who aims to make everyone else at the office miserable as well.
Mike: "I strongly disliked my boss and my work environment, but the only way to get free was to pay back all the money I've received during my military service ($10k). I was unhappy and started questioning life. I realized that most people around me felt the same way; They all hated their workweek and were only happy when they could get drunk over the weekend in order to forget that they had to go back to work on Monday. This really made me think..."
1990 - 1995

After another miserable week at the office, Mike reaches the precipice and is desperate to get fast money to buy himself free from his contract. Together with a partner, Mike burglarizes unoccupied businesses and a few months later ends up in jail for a 4-day interrogation.
Mike: "Yes, that was wrong and stupid, but it made me think deeply about life. I wanted to become a better man and I wanted a better life. I paid back all the victimized companies ($20k), and got sentenced to two years probation. I distanced myself from all negativity and decided to pursue happiness on my own terms. I soon realizes that pursuing happiness is not a widespread or supported concept in Switzerland. Furthermore, I noticed that Swiss people are mainly concerned about money and vacation time. They thrive on pessimism, live in subconscious fear, and therefore always choose security over happiness. I was about to change all that."​

For the next two years, Mike goes back to work at the office and keeps his head low, while paying off his debts. After two years, Mike's work contract expires, he tells his boss off in an epic rant and turns in his notice. Two months later, Mike is finally FREE.
Mike: "This was an amazing day! I first took on a night-shift job at the local newspaper factory, and then collected unemployed money for a while. My happiness level rose quite a bit, but there was more to come. Since I worked out so ferociously, I thought I could use my physique to do some body modeling. A bit insecure, but motivated, I submitted a few pictures of myself to a newspaper modeling ad. A few days later, I got a phone call and was invited by photographer Jose Messana for an interview in Zürich. Soon thereafter, I became one of the most photographed body models in Switzerland."

Two years and many pictures later, Mike has developed into a pro with a liking for posing and performing. Mike models for magazines, calendars, and photo books, etc. At one of the photo shoots, Mike runs into another model, Clemens. The two have a lot of things in common and decide to partner up in order to create a men strip show for women, ABDOMINIS is born.
Mike: "Wow, this was so much fun. We were three guys and we performed at nightclubs, private parties, weddings, and other special events. I had a blast, I felt free, I made more money than ever before, and my happiness level rose another few notches."

​​​What?? Mike receives a phone call from his photographer, who tells him that pop star Madonna has apparently seen Mike in a magazine and now inquired about him possibly being in her next movie... Wow! Madonna's assistant from New York calls...
Mike: "How crazy is that, huh? I handed the phone over to my mom, who spoke fluent English, and they asked her a lot of questions regarding my acting, singing, and dancing abilities."​

This is the craziest thing that ever happened to Mike. The talks with Madonna's people continue for a few months until plans change. Madonna goes on a world tour, and the movie project is postponed and ultimately never happens.
Mike: "Honestly, I wasn't disappointed or discouraged at all because I knew that I wouldn't have been ready for something like that anyway, BUT more importantly, I suddenly saw the unlimited possibilities of life. I started to dream about becoming an actor in Hollywood. I was ready to break away from Switzerland and follow my dreams. My first step was to visit Los Angeles."
1995 - 2000

After vacationing in Los Angeles for a couple of months, Mike returns back to Switzerland with a newfound inspiration. It’s not an easy decision, but Mike sells everything he owns and says good-bye to all his friends and family. With two suitcases, seven thousand dollars and a dream, Mike is off to America (See Mike's documentary The Dreamers, which captures the first ten years of his journey).
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Mike: "This was a bittersweet moment. On one hand I was extremely excited to move to America, but on the other hand it was a bit scary and also very sad to say goodbye to everybody I knew." ​​

Mike’s first stop is in Scotts Valley where his remarried father lives. Because Mike’s stepmother is American, and Mike wasn’t 16 years of age when they got married, Mike qualifies to apply for a green card. Mike prepares the endless paperwork and starts to learn English. Three months later, and after standing in line at the immigration several times for over 15 hours, Mike receives his "Permanent Resident" card valid for one year.
Mike: "This was an exciting moment. I was finally ready to leave for Los Angeles, and after a 5-hour drive, I arrived in Hollywood. – YAY!! I was so happy, but at the same time I was aware that I was all alone and needed to start from the bottom. I needed to find an apartment, get a mattress, a refrigerator, a phone, a bank account, and a job, and I needed to improve my English and learn about the entertainment business. Wow, a lot of work!"​

Arriving in LA, Mike finds a studio apartment for $490.00 right on Hollywood Boulevard. A few weeks later, Mike is settled and starts working as a background actor in movies and TV shows. He earns about $32.00 for 8 hours.
Mike: "This was unbelievably exciting! Although I was only an extra, I was in the middle of Hollywood's movie-making business. After a year of doing extra work, I qualified to join the actors union. I spent all my money and joined the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and now earned about $79.00 for 8 hours. Then I joined my first acting class, which was a life-changing experience. Over a period of two years, I did extra work in over 200 movies, TV shows and commercials. I can be seen in TV shows like "Baywatch" and "Married with Children" and in movies like "Primal Fear" and "Jerry Maguire" with Tom Cruise, etc. -- I was living the dream!!" ​

One day, as Mike works as an extra on the TV show "Clueless", the director asks him to say a LINE: "Hey, hotdog, slow down."
Mike: "To actually SAY a line in a TV show is a BIG DEAL for every actor, because your contract turns from an extra into a "professional" actor called "day-player. This not only results in more money, but also in receiving residuals. I was asked to say: "Hey, hotdog, slow down!!" After this exciting experience and, since my English and acting skills have improved, I sent out hundreds of head-shots to agencies and managers in order to seek representation. I also submitted myself to countless acting auditions, but rarely ever got called in. In order to make some extra money, I started working as a delivery driver for a Swiss bakery."

Mike sees a casting notice from a producer who is looking for a fit actor who speaks Swiss-German. Mike applies and meets Roman, a fellow countryman who's planning to do a TV show for Switzerland. Unfortunately, the Swiss TV doesn't see the potential and turns the project down.
Mike: "Meeting Roman was a game-changer. We had so much in common; we both left Switzerland for a more fulfilling live, we both had aspirations of becoming actors, we both lived below the poverty line, but most importantly, we both shared a sense of FREEDOM and HAPPINESS that we have never experienced before. After pondering on that fact, we developed a concept for a Swiss Reality Show entitled "Hollywood Boulevard" about two regular Swiss guys struggling in Hollywood to become actors. The reality show was meant to encourage the Swiss youth to follow their own dreams, and to adopt a more optimistic mindset." ​

Mike and Roman are unstoppable, they work hundreds of hours to develop the concept and even shoot a pilot episode for a few hundred bucks. With the last money, the two fly to Switzerland and conduct a test-screening for a Swiss audience. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive and 98% of the audience states that they would most definitely watch such a reality show.
Mike: "It was amazing to see a pessimistic group respond so open-mindedly. It seemed that we tapped into the youth's hidden dreams. We met with the Swiss TV network and present the show idea, but again, they completely failed to see the potential, ignored the positive feedback, and turned us down. Sorry to say, but that's typical Swiss. Also, one needs to keep in mind that this project was many years before the boom of "Reality Shows" happened!" ​

Back in Los Angeles, Mike and Roman add a third team member, Robert Kunovitz, and they change the concept to a German reality TV series. Many months and about $10k later, the team pitches the show to several German networks. Unfortunately, everyone fails to recognize the potential and turn the idea down, but Mike and Roman refuse to give up and keep believing and predicting that the BOOM of reality shows will happen soon!!
Mike: "After we realized that the European TV market didn't see the potential of reality shows, we changed the concept to an international TV series entitled "Hollywood Dreams," featuring upcoming acting stars from several different countries. The slogan: “It’s not about fame, it’s about passion!” In order to develop and pitch the show to the American market, we hustled many months to find three investors who together provided $68.000 dollars."

Two years of hard work and $68k later, Mike and Roman have a written pilot episode, a one-sheet, and a new trailer. With no agent and guerilla-style, the two pitch the show all over Hollywood. After months of countless rejections, Mike and Roman receive an unexpected phone call from Paramount Television! Paramount has recognized the potential of the TV show and ends up optioning the concept!
Mike: "This was a very exciting moment and we believed that the breakthrough was around the corner. Paramount told us that they would close this deal one way or another. At the Cannes TV market in France, Paramount meets the German media group "KirchGroup" who shows interest in a co-production. But two weeks later, we got informed that the deal fell through because of "political problems" between Paramount and Germany. We lost everything (office, computer, money) and we were back to zero. About one year later, the big BOOM of reality shows happens without any benefit for Mike & Roman (watch Mike's documentary The Dreamers)."​
2000 - 2005

After having analyzed life for many years, Mike and Roman can see a huge difference in attitude between Americans and Europeans. In general, the Americans have a "can-do" attitude, think big, think optimistic, and believe in their own dreams. Europeans, in general, have a "can't-do" attitude, think small, think pessimistic, and don't really believe in their own dreams (if they even have any). Mike and Roman believe that following one's dreams is a stairway to heaven. Considering the widespread pessimism and the high suicide rate in Switzerland, Mike and Roman decide to write an inspiring screenplay for a movie that shall encourage the Swiss youth to follow their own dreams, to think positive, and to never give up. And in order to proof to them that this film is NOT about making money, the two decide to donate any profit of this project to an organization that helps underprivileged kids.
Mike: "We were pumped and wrote the screenplay THE DREAMERS in a few months. Then we past it on to get some feedback from friends in Switzerland! Everybody was inspired and even encouraged to take another look at their own unfulfilled dreams! Unaware of the huge backlash that was going to happen, we contact dozens of Swiss companies for financing and applied for a film grant through the Swiss Government's cultural department."

Mike works 15 hours a day, goes to acting class, submits to auditions, works on "The Dreamers" project, and makes money by working as a delivery driver for a Swiss bakery. Everything is moving forward until 9/11 happens!!
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Mike: "What a shocker!! The news reports were never-ending and a lot of people said a lot of different things, but I had no idea what this was really all about? I had to get informed and embarked on a journey to learn about politics, which consumed over 10,000 hours during the next ten years. Since I worked as a delivery driver, I was stuck in traffic all the time, and that's when I discovered "Talk Radio", which changed my life and my world view forever. I would say that the biggest inspiration and the biggest source of wisdom came from Dennis Prager!"

Many years of acting class has made Mike into a decent actor. He has had leading roles in theater plays and smaller parts in short films, but becoming a real, paid, working actor in Hollywood is a different story. Dedication, talent, luck, and most of all "industry connections" seem to be the key.
Mike: "I didn't have any industry connections, and I still had a slight accent that nobody could place, which was a death-sentence in Hollywood. I also became more aware of Hollywood's superficiality and the disappointing content they produced, which often included propaganda I didn't agree with. This was just another reason for me to keep trying to produce my own stuff."

In the meantime, Mike and Roman not only get turned down by ALL the Swiss companies for the "Dreamers" movie project, but the Swiss Government denies a film grant by claiming that "Dreams are a thing of puberty" and that Mike and Roman's U.S. address doesn't qualify them to apply for a film grant in the first place.
Mike: "Wow! We couldn't believe it. Dreams are a thing of puberty?? Also, the Government confirmed in writing that our address wouldn't disqualify us for receiving a grant! We appealed the decision, which resulted in a huge and controversial, two-year long, legal battle. I believe we have won this case several times, but the Government wouldn't budge, so I led a demonstration against their corrupt legal system (The Dreamers). All in all, we got turned down 952 times for the "Dreamers" project and, to make matters worse, my heart got broken by a Swiss-Girl. It was the darkest time in my life and I suffered from the worst depression imaginal for over a year."

After recovering from depression, Mike writes a spiritual boxing film with the intention to write the lead part for himself. A year later, "The 13th Round" is finished and receives high praises from screenplay judges and even wins an award. Mike spends over a thousand hours developing the project; He forms a company with operating agreement and articles of organization, he creates a full-fledged business plan with subscription agreement and private placement memorandum, he explores dozens of financing options, he sends out hundreds of letters to production companies, agents and producers, he creates and launches an official movie website and even takes boxing lessons, etc.
Mike: "After 5 years of incredible hard work, I made some inroads and even managed to spark Paul Newman's interest to play the boxing coach, but all this still wasn't enough to get the project off the ground. But at least I discovered my talent and my passion for screenwriting. I felt it so strongly that I changed my focus from acting to screenwriting."
2005 - 2010

Having learned so much about politics and American values, Mike realizes that the European media and most of the American media are extremely biased and manipulative and play on people's emotions to push an agenda.
Mike: "I recognized the gravity of this situation, and I was suddenly determined to become an American Citizen so I could vote and take a stand for American values. I submitted all the paperwork, passed all the tests, and became a proud U.S. Citizen on June 23rd, 2005. Yay!!" ​

After the controversy with the Swiss Government, Mike still feels that the "Dreamers" project isn't resolved. He decides to use all the behind-the-scene footage to produces an inspiring, no-budget documentary film about his entire journey, putting forth the philosophy that following ones dream is a stairway to heaven. After learning basic editing skills, Mike spends many months in front of the computer until the docu-film is done. After releasing the documentary, Mike receives many emails from Switzerland and from around the world.
Mike: "I realized that the story I wanted to tell through the "Dreamers" movie worked even better through this "real-life" documentary film! After so many years and thousands of hours, I was finally able to put this protect behind me and move on. I was happy and even sent Dennis Prager a DVD of "The Dreamers." I knew he probably wouldn't have time to watch it, but if he would, I was convinced he would love it."​

Following one's dream is not easy. Mike now works three different jobs. In the morning, Mike delivers for the Swiss bakery all over town, in the afternoon, Mike works as a dishwasher, and in the evening, Mike works as a personal trainer at LA Fitness. Whenever Mike is not working, he's writing screenplays.
Mike: "I really fell in love with writing. I was happy to be by myself at home, and I was inspired to write the foundation of movies. I often wrote over 10 hours a day and throughout the years wrote screenplays ranging from touching family films to nail-biting thrillers to out-of-the-box science fiction stories. Check out my writing here."

Mike and Roman resurrect their TV show concept one more time and change it into the FIRST Swiss Web-Series titled "Hallo Hollywood." Mike is the head-writer and Yangzom Brauen the host. After writing 21 episodes and after finding investors, the team produces the entire first season. After pitching the show to Switzerland again, one of the biggest Swiss media platforms, BLICK agrees to stream the series online.
Mike: "Of course, we didn't get paid anything, but at least the country could see our show. Every episode was more successful and the show slowly took off! We immediately suggested to shoot another season to keep the momentum going, but the pessimistic Swiss, as always, acted indecisively, didn't want to spend any money, fumble around for about 4 months and finally decide not to continue the show. This, of course, was again so typical and we decided to never work with Switzerland again."

Wow, what a nice surprise!! Mike gets an unexpected phone call from... DENNIS PRAGER!! Although it has been a year since Mike sent Dennis a DVD of "The Dreamers," Dennis and his wife watched the whole thing, and, as predicted, absolutely loved it. Dennis compliments Mike and calls him a "Hollywood Hero!"
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Mike: "This was an amazing honor, and I was humbled to talk to Dennis on the phone, the man who expanded my thinking and my wisdom for over a decade. A few years later, I met Dennis at some event."

​Mike meets the most beautiful girl, Jessica in acting class and believes that she could be "The One." The two start spending more and more time together, become close friends, and a year later end up as a couple. Another two years later, Mike proposes to her, and the answer is a teary YES!!!
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Mike: "Jessica was so charming and so down to earth, not jaded like so many Hollywood girls. Jessica seemed authentic, smart, and sexy, and had a smile to die for. Insiders will know the "Peach-Ring" story."
2010 - 2015

Mike faces the same conundrum in screenwriting than in acting; Having talent helps, but without industry connections and a good portion of luck, nothing happens. The key seems to be to create your own stuff like Mike has been trying for the last 15 years. Since nobody in Hollywood excepts unsolicited scripts and nobody is willing to read anything by an unknown writer, Mike is rejected as a screenwriter a few hundred times. But Mike persists and sends out 780 letters and e-mails looking for literary representation. After another 779 rejections, Mike receives a phone call from a small literary Manager who signs him as a writer.
Mike: "There are about 50,000 new screenplays written every year. So every five years there will be 250,000 MORE screenplays floating around in Hollywood, and that's on top of what's already out there! Every year only a small number of screenplays are actually being produced, and most of them are developed in-house by the big studios. The odds are about 5000 to 1. But I continued writing because that's what I loved to do."

July 24th, 2011, a day to remember! Mike and Jessica get married on a beautiful yacht in Marina Del Rey. Mike's family flies in from Switzerland, and Jessica's family and relatives fly in from Texas, London, and Nigeria. The wedding is a truly amazing event! Mike and Jessica sing their wedding vows, and everybody has a blast!
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Mike: "What a fantastic day it was! We were only about 50-60 people, but the Nigerian flair brought a lot colors, joy, and dancing! The atmosphere was filled with love. Check out our wedding page for great pictures and our amazing wedding video by Michael Freund."

Mike and Jessica are lucky and find a great and affordable bungalow in North Hollywood. They move in together and continue working on their careers. Jessica is extremely determined and works unbelievably hard to make her own dream of being a working actress in Hollywood come true. Both have multiple jobs and keep pushing forward.
Mike: "At this time, I mainly worked as a personal trainer, which I enjoyed. Some of my clients became lifelong friends, especially Joel & Jacquelyn Schechter. In my spare time, I kept writing and writing and writing...

After 10+ years of studying politics, Mike's ideology and worldview comes into much greater focus. Mike takes an interest in everything from domestic and foreign policies, to global economics, and to American-, European-, and Islamic value systems, etc. Everything that happens in the world is much easier to understand now.
Mike: "I analyzed all the issues down to the roots, and I'm proud of all the research I've done. I always considered both sides, and I was never biased by nature, but I painfully became aware of the two different ideologies in America. One side promoted bigger Government, higher taxes, secularism, feeling-based policies, income distribution, open border policies, and a welfare state ideology, etc. The other side promoted smaller Government, lower taxes, traditional American Judeo-Christian values, thought-based policies, secure borders, and a self-reliance ideology, etc. I was happy to see a black President, but I thought that the re-election of Barack Obama was a huge mistake."

After thousands of hours of writing, pitching and promoting, Mike options two of his screenplays and signs a shopping agreement for another four of his screenplays. Furthermore, Mike's screenplay, CHECKMATE WINS the popular BREAKING WALLS THRILLER SCREENPLAY CONTEST! Could that be the long-awaited breakthrough??
Mike: "Many months later, it became evident that even the above-mentioned achievements didn't have an impact on my career! I even saw people with less talent get paid $150k to simply re-write a script in six weeks, which I could've done in my sleep. But what could I do, these people had the necessary connections, and I didn't. But I wasn't disheartened by all that because after all, I was LIVING MY DREAM and I was happy and believed that financial success was just a matter of time."
2015 - 2020

To this day, Mike wrote about 20 feature screenplays and was optioned an astounding 11 times. But a breakthrough can only happen if one of the companies who optioned the script actually RAISES the money to finance and produce the film, and that has not happened yet.
Mike: "I couldn't wait any longer, so I took action myself. I wrote, produced, and directed my very first short film titled Inimicus (Personal Enemy). This film was about a woman who was going to shoot her rapist, and had to decide between acting on her feelings of revenge or acting on her brother’s plea to spare the rapist's life. I had Jessica act in the lead role. We shot the film in only two days for a budget of only $2.5k. A friend of mine did the editing and helped with the soundtrack. The short film turned out pretty decent, and Jessica did a great acting job. Watch the film here."​

A small breakthrough: Out of 35 screenwriters, Mike is chosen to adapt a book into a screenplay. The book is titled "Charmed by Darkness" and is based on a true story about the life of Roger Morneau, a former demon worshiper who became a Christian author and prayer warrior. Mike gets paid $15k for the job, which makes this his highest paid writing gig so far. Mike does a lot of research into the dark world of demon-worshipping.
Mike: "While I was doing research into the subject of demons and the devil, as well as prayers and God, I suddenly felt a strong urge to get baptized again and accept Jesus as my savior! On October 25th, 2015, I was officially baptized by pastor Jospeh Barkley at his local church in North Hollywood. Feeling saved felt great! -- A few weeks later, I delivered the screenplay to the producer who was very happy with the result. Unfortunately, as it usually is the case, the producer was never able to raise the money to actually produce the film."

In June 2015, an adorable cat shows up and seems to look for a new home. Many neighbors try to win the cat over and offer her a home, but the cat, smart as she is, chooses Mike & Jessica!
Mike: "I love animals, and especially cats, but I haven't had a cat for a very long time because I tend to emotionally bond so deeply that it almost kills me when they pass on. But this was love at first sight, so we took the cat in and called her Lucy and our lives were enriched ever since. Even Jessica, who didn't grow up with pets, soon fell in love with Lucy."

Presidential elections are happening and politics in the U.S. is heating up like never before. Mike has never seen a bigger division between his fellow Americans and is concerned about the deterioration of society's moral values.
Mike: "I'm not a person who is easily persuaded or emotionally influenced. I look at all the facts, and then I make common-sense decisions, but millions of my fellow Americans didn't seem to do that. Having followed politics for over 15 years, I believed to have found the #1 problem: The media!! It was shocking to see how much they manipulated, distorted, and even lied to the people. I don't personally blame the Democrat voters, they're the victims! The media indoctrinates people and covers up the corruption of politicians like the Clintons, the Obamas, the Bushes, and even the FBI, CIA, DOJ, etc. When Trump showed up and called the media "Fake News," I immediately knew that he wasn't the typical politician. The more I learned about him, the more I was convinced that only HE could save this country. This was confirmed when Bush came out and endorsed Hillary! Everything suddenly started to make sense. It was Trump against the Elites, the Deep State, the Globalists, the Media, and even Hollywood. I never believed the media's polls that predicted a 99% certain win for Hillary. I checked the Internet and predicted a Trump win, and I was correct! It was a joyful election night! Btw, for all the haters, no, I'm not a racist or a Nazi, I'm simply an informed citizen who cares about this country! Also, I don't hate the left, I simply think they're misguided, indoctrinated and way too emotional."

After having written almost 20 feature screenplays, a friend of Mike's (Peter Fuhrman), suggests to shoot one of Mike's screenplays. Mike, Jessica, and Peter team up and select one of Mike's micro-budget screenplays titled Anonymous 616. A616 is a psychological thriller/horror film about a reunion between two couples that becomes a massacre when one of the guests meets an anonymous person online and willingly becomes a participant on a bloody path to becoming God-like. -- About a year later, the film is completed on an astoundingly small budget of only $27k with Mike as a "first-time" feature film director.
Mike: "This was the most stressful and most exhausting time of my life. The pressure and responsibilities were insane, and I consider it a huge accomplishment. The film has won multiple awards including "Best Film" and is available in over 80 countries on most digital platforms. I was a bit shocked to learn how little money independent films actually make. Apparently 98% of independent films never even make the money back, let alone make a profit. It took us exactly five years to recoup our budget and make a few dollars profit. It's tough to make money if streaming platforms pay the filmmakers only a meager $0.01 CENT per view!!"

Through YouTube, Mike learns about the #WalkAway movement, which is about disillusioned people walking away from the Democratic party! Mike watches dozens of testimonial videos of former Democrats who have woken up and have realized the deception. Mike is so touched and inspired by those testimonials that he creates a compilation video. A week later, Mike releases the video on YouTube. Three hours later, Mike receives a phone call from Brandon Straka, the founder of the #WalkAway movement, who expresses great enthusiasm for Mike's video.
Mike: "Throughout the years, I've created many compilation videos, including "The Great Awakening - Breaking the Chains of the Democratic Party" which was mentioned on many TV networks like Fox News and many others. The video has also been shown at selected movie theaters and has gathered over one million views on different social networking platforms! I felt I was doing my part to save the country I loved so much."
2020 - 2025

The Covid virus breaks out, and the news goes into overdrive.
Mike: "This was a very confusing, aggravating, and frustrating time. Knowing so much about the media and its agenda, it was hard to ignore that a lot of things didn't make sense and didn't add up. Of course, one could not speak out freely anymore without risking getting into some heavy confrontations. I pretty much kept to myself and was mostly unaffected by these circumstances. I also believed that with time, greater clarity will come for many people." ​

After watching 3 1/2 years of non-stop lies about President Trump, Mike feels obligated to write a screenplay about politics titled "A HOUSE DIVIDED." The film is about a 4th of July dinner party that gets out of hand because of politics, and the fight for Conservative values stands at the forefront. After 1000+ hours of hard work, the team shoots the film in only 2 1/2 days for about $5k during the global pandemic, something other filmmakers said was impossible.
Mike: "Producing a film in Hollywood promoting Conservative values is not an easy task. We had zero support and had to re-cast 14 times, because most actors where afraid that they would never work in Hollywood again! So much about the left being tolerant, open-minded and compassionate, right? It's all a big lie! We released the film right before the 2020 and it got immediately boycotted by Facebook and other social media platforms, but at least the feedback from patriotic Americans was overwhelmingly positive! Even Debbie and Dinesh D'Souza watched our film. It just keeps baffling my mind that seemingly intelligent people don't realize that one of the two parties is clearly anti-American, anti-Constitution, anti-Capitalism, anti-Gun, anti-Business, anti-Free Speech, anti-Police, anti-Christmas, anti-Religion, anti-Thanksgiving, anti-Women, and often anti-Baby and even anti-God! Did I forget anything? - LOL."​

​The presidential election comes and goes, and, as predicted by informed people, the election was obviously stolen by the Deep State, Elites, Shadow Government, Cabal, Rinos, etc.
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Mike: "I know it's not a popular thing to say that the election was stolen, but the evidence of fraud and manipulation is overwhelming. I know many people are uninformed and don't know better, but anybody who seriously looks into this issue will be convinced beyond any reasonable doubt. Maybe it needs to be this way to wake people up. I'm predicting four illuminating years that will lead to a great awakening. Mark my words."

Mike receives an email informing him that Gloria Barrack, an old friend of his, has passed on.
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Mike: "Although I haven't seen Gloria in about ten years, we used to be very close friends, and we spent a lot of time together discussing every subject under the sun. She was a very kind person and a good soul. After she passed, I learned that she had a life-changing surprise for him. It's confidential for now, but I wanted to honor Gloria by mentioning her name and posting a picture of her in good memory. R.I.P. Gloria!"

On January 09, 2022 Mike gets another sad phone call with news that his father, Peter Maurer, has passed away. Peter was 77 years old and has had the Parkinson's Disease for over 20 years. Mike & Jessica drive up to Scotts Valley to take care of things and to hold a small Memorial Service (Video) to celebrate Peter's life! -- RIP! ):
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Mike: "What can I say about my father? He started out being a very adventurous and sporty man. He was born in Switzerland, but also lived in Canada for a few years were I was born. He was a ski instructor, loved to play chess, became a tool and die maker for Swiss watches, got married, and ultimately settled with his wife and two kids on a farm in Switzerland. He was a strict and rather cold parent, but he was a good provider. The divorce was not his idea and it almost killed him and made him relocate to California. Although he got remarried, he never got over his broken heart. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, wrote two books about atoms and smaller particles representing God, he played poker, became very generous, and passed at the age of 77."

January 2023 marks yet another very sad day as Lucy passes away.
Mike: "Just as I have feared, it was a traumatizing event. I connected so deeply with this cat that I could almost not handle the sadness and grief when Lucy died in my arms. I'm not good with stuff like that, and it hurts me to my soul. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore. RIP Lucy!" ):

In 2024, Mike supports Jessica in producing HER first feature film, Unnamed, which she wrote, produced, acted in, and directed. The film highlights human trafficking and is about a poor Nigerian hairstylist who is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work in Hollywood, only to be tricked into the dark world of sex trafficking.
Mike: "Jessica has worked on the script and on the first steps of development for many years and it was finally time to produce this film. It was again a huge undertaking the produce a feature film with about a dozen locations on a minuscule budget. A couple of months later the film went into post-production for almost a year. The film then got accepted to the "Dances With Films" film festival and had its world premiere in the famous Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The film also went on to win several awards, including "Best Actress" and "Best International Film" in the UK. We consider this a huge success for Jessica and the Boss team." ​​

Mike comes across some 'Reaction Videos' on YouTube and is intrigued by the concept. Mike is especially interested in the many 'Movie Reaction Videos.'
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Mike: "I had no idea what 'Reaction Videos' were, and I was wondering, who in this world would want to watch somebody else watching a movie? It just sounded bizarre, but since I'm open-minded, I checked it out, and it didn't take long until I realized the fascination and genius behind the concept. It took me many months to convince Jessica to finally check out one of those videos and consider the concept. She got it right away and we decided to start our own movie reaction channel on YouTube called Boss Movie Reactions. Although it's been said that the average YouTube channel needs about 22 months to score 1,000 subscribers, we scored over 12,000 within our first 11 months."​

On July 13th, 2024, while Donald J. Trump speaks at a rally in Pennsylvania, there is a coordinated attempt to assassinate him. Mike is shocked, but not surprised at all. ​​​
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Mike: "Of course, one could blame the mainstream media for inciting violence by constantly comparing Trump to Hitler and a danger to democracy, but that's just their attempt to indoctrinate the people. Everyone who pays attention knows that the "Deep State" is behind it all. -- God obviously protected Trump, and he emerged victoriously from this despicable act. -- Fight, fight, fight."

The presidential election of 2024 is finally here. As predicted by Mike, Donald J. Trump wins the election and receives a mandate from the American people. Trump not only wins the presidency, but also the popular vote, the Senate, and the House."
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Mike: "Although I was extremely happy to see Trump win, I was also shocked and saddened to observe the Democrats' reaction. The irrational behavior was staggering. I never truly knew how powerful brainwashing really is. Amazing! I'm here for anyone who needs help, but I think time will tell the story best. Fact is, the election was indeed "Too Big To Rig." Although voter fraud was detected all over the country, it wasn't enough to overcome the will of the people. Now, the work to Make America Great Again and drain the swamp can finally begin. Even the Democrats will be happy if they have an open mind and see the results." (:
2025 - 2030

Mike: "Happy New Year to everyone! I'm excited about this year, I think it's going to be epic. We'll see how it unfolds, but we're not only planning to continue with our Boss Movie Reactions, but we're also going to shoot another movie, a comedy titled BOUGIE (written/directed by Jessica Boss). -- Stay tuned!" (: