JET Progress

08/02/2026

“TANK IS FULL. MAYBE THE ENGINE IS FLOODED?” FROM FILM MEDIUM OF DEATH!

HAVING finally resolved the issue of remote filming of the car scene, “the tank is [indeed] full” and the development of MEDIUM OF DEATH, the fifth JET Progress’ film, is proceeding. MOD is a unique film in many ways. First, it’s based on the screenplay of the same name by multi-award-winning Richard Rose, and costuming by Kaye Lynn Rose. Second, its an occult mystery. Third, it defines the outer boundry of ethos for JET Progress’ productions, namely what defines violence.

Fourth, it stars DANIEL S. JANIK as the surgeon John Landa and SAKURA KAI as Kaya Landa, his wife who believes firmly in the first Japanese goddess. To a fault. Or maybe not at all. But it includes two well known actors, SHANE CHISUM in the co-starring role of the maligned Arthur Straud and NIKOMA ING in the co-starring role of the occultly villianous Oniko Oslow.

But there’s more! It’s JET Progress’ first film that deals with off-location filming. The screenwriter, Richard Rose serves as associate Producer with Daniel S. Janik and Setsuko Tsuchiya’s Direction. The combination is dynamite! And lastly, MOD represents the first major departure from pure drama, entering if only a little, the world of action movies.Is there more on the horizon? You bet! Right after MEDIUM OF DEATH, we turn to Western drama with William Maltese’s version of the outlaw AKURA MENDEZ.

07/24/2026

OBSCENE AI

LAST night I had a productive dream – you know, one that seems to want to say something – to somehow work it’s way free and form it’s restrictive world into mine: It was about a book (I’m an author as well as a screenplay film producer). It was all about finishing a work. You know, that remaining third of a work at brings it all together into a whole. In my dream, I was ponder how to close and finish a work already 2/3 done and well writtan and edited. Any book. The subject didn’t matter, The constantly questioned ending did. Not in terms of subject though. Just an ending.

In my dream, I decided to let an AI finish it. I had already typed in the theme and detailed story and simply pressed the button. Voila! The answer appeared in it’s completeness. But it wasn’t in any language I recognized and I rather consider myself a fair linguist. It was in properly puctuated sentences. It contained intact clauses, rhythmic phrases and interconnected words. But it was gibberish to me; nothing made sense.

I felt as though frozen; this answer was entirely unexpected. In the past, the theme and story were always told to me if I just listened. This ending wasn’t another voice. I waited. Only a deepening silence. My curiusity piqed, what message did the AI have for me and the book? How was it to end? Was it written for and AI? In fact, had I unwittingly written the first book for AIs? Was it fiction or with this ending had it become non-fiction? Or vice versa? Was it a book in the past? The present? Maybe, some future? A presently un-understandable prediction? There was something important here, or was their anything at all? I wondered, and awoke.

07/23/2026

RHYTHM
July 22, 2026
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One of JET Progress’ / Draqual Media’s principle actresses, the multi-award-winning Sakura Kai (aka Setsuko Tsuchiya; of WINNOWING; OTOSOTU – On The Other Side Of The Universe; AUDIENCE WITH A VAMPYRE; WHAT DANCE AM I?; MOCOS; WHAT DANCE AM I? and her newest film MEDIUM OF DEATH) has created a personal channel called “Actress Life” on YouTube (search for “” for the YouTube channel) where she’s busy every week so sharing her experience. And I, Daniel S Janik, often her leading male actor, who has appeared in CLEAN WATER, COMMON GROUND; WINNOWING; THE MALTESE COLLECTION; OTOSOTU; AUDIENCE WITH A VAMPYRE; WHAT DANCE ANM I/; MOCOS and currently in MEDIUM OF DEATH.. And while you’re looking, you can do a YouTube search for “Daniel S Janik,” another JET Progress’ principal actors site.
Actress SAKURA KAI has appeared in movies and on television (FANTSY ISLAND; NCIS HAWAII, MAGNUM P.I.) as well as co-directing and co-filming numerous films. She began her movie debut with STATIC (2010). As part of her YouTube channel, she she shares what it’s like to be an award-winning actress, what skills and experiences have proven important to her career, and suggestions to fledgeling actresses who want to “make it” in the acting world.
Actor DANIEL S JANIK has appeared in movies and on television as well as having co-produced, co-directed and co-filmedn numerous films. His career spans STATIC (2010), FINDING KATE HAWAII and THE PERFECT ILLUSIONin addition to those movies listed above. He frequently appears alongside Sakura Kai.


, , ’Life

06/28/2026

JET Progress productions rocks
June 28, 2026
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JET Progress productions is Busy. Busy getting ready to film the car sequence of “Medium of Death.” You’ve probably heard that a number of times now, but in reality we are. This is probably the most complex sequence of 90 or so scenes we’ve ever captured on film. Rehearsal was two weeks ago. The script was shotlisted. The technical problems have been re-worked: the sequence’s spot-lighting of the interior; the suppression of exterior sounds and enhancement of the interior sounds; the total conversion to battery rather than relying as usual on external power; adjusting the camera to bokkah (it doesn’t innate do this); freeing up cramped interior acting space; adjusting greenscreens to create the illusion of movement; creating iPad controller for camera, and that’s just a few modification all with a minimal crew (the actor are the crew). Recant work by the producers was done to allow filming of spoken roles in the studio with the car an optical overlay.

Today is full dress rehearsal of the complete shotlisted sequence.

Don’t worry. A behind-the-scenes version is always created so you can follow the making of the film. It can be accessed through my actor website at https://danielsjanik.com/medium-of-death.php alongside visual snips of the making so far.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZR9PpMqP/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-9-06-48-PM.png

.Janik

06/28/2026

JET Progress productions rocks
June 28, 2026
Posted in Uncategorized
Edit
JET Progress productions is Busy. Busy getting ready to film the car sequence of “Medium of Death.” You’ve probably heard that a number of times now, but in reality we are. This is probably the most complex sequence of 90 or so scenes we’ve ever captured on film. Rehearsal was two weeks ago. The script was shotlisted. The technical problems have been re-worked: the sequence’s spot-lighting of the interior; the suppression of exterior sounds and enhancement of the interior sounds; the total conversion to battery rather than relying as usual on external power; adjusting the camera to bokkah (it doesn’t innate do this); freeing up cramped interior acting space; adjusting greenscreens to create the illusion of movement; creating iPad controller for camera, and that’s just a few modification all with a minimal crew (the actor are the crew). Recant work by the producers was done to allow filming of spoken roles in the studio with the car an optical overlay.

Today is full dress rehearsal of the complete shotlisted sequence.

Don’t worry. A behind-the-scenes version is always created so you can follow the making of the film. It can be accessed through my actor website at https://danielsjanik.com/medium-of-death.php alongside visual snips of the making so far.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZR9PpMqP/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-9-06-48-PM.png

.Janik

06/12/2026

IT’S ABOUT TIME!

Here it is June, 2026, and JET Progress (productions) is finally resurfacing after a 5-month hiatus..That’s 5-months post stroke (I suffered a stroke in late January, 2026, and quite frankly, am lucky I’m alive). Full recovery is projected for January, 2027, hence the hiatus. Given a second lease on acting, so to speak, with a firm recommitment to actress Sakura , screenwriter William Maltese, editor M. Davis, publicist Wanda (Countess’ Court) and the many others associated with JET Progress productions over the years.

We were right in the middle of the production MOD (“Medium of Death”) and updating JET Progress when things came to an abrupt halt. We’re right now working to complete Daniel S. Janik and Sakura Kai’s “car scene.” Together with Nakoma Ing and Shane Chisum’s already filmed parts MOD is preparing for a revised 2027 release. JET Progress is similarily projecting a full upate including 2027 revision to include JET Progress publications (“Pony” press). Exciting times for sure!
JET Progress already includes “screenplay novels” forms of written books to accompany JET Progress productions movies “Audience with a Vampyre” and “What Dance am I” available from Amazon books.


01/19/2026

"WHAT DANCE AM I?" WINS TRIPLE BIG!

NOT one but three international film festival awards were received for the JET Progress/Draqual Media production of the historically-based dance art film, WHAT DANCE AM I? yesterday: (1) BEST SHORT FILM DEBUT from Berlin Indie Awards; (2) BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE from Denver Movie Awards; and (3) BEST [POTENTIAL] WEB SERIES from the Dubai Indie Film Festival. Say what? A potential web series? Why not?! Screenplay written by that inimitable author and screenwriter, William Maltese.

With over 50 international film festival awards and and increasing, WHAT DANCE AM I? starring Daniel S. Janik, Sakura Kai and Pam Hoffman is revitalizing interest in keen amateur ballroom and Latin partner dance. Yes, you heard right: keen AMATEUR partner dance. There's been many excellent films about professional dancers, but few about the majority of dancers in the world: amateur dancers. WHAT DANCE AM I? explores some impacts of keen amateur partner dancing on, well, interested amateurs. And what a surprise to learn that multi-award-winning actor Daniel S. Janik and multi-award-winning actress Sakura Kai are, in fact, a 20+ years keen amateur dance couple participating in social, performance and competitive International-style ballroom and Latin dance.

The work was filmed as if the leads were true keen amateurs not only in dance but filmmaking, also, making the BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM an apt, common award. The dance sequences, recorded at different events, were under the supervision and coaching of world famous dancer, coach and adjudicator, Mr. Albert Franz. The film is still in screening and available to view internationally for FREE at:

https://youtu.be/Jh_zQGk02yI

? .Janik

JET Progress | Draqual Media's dramatic dance art film, WHAT DANCE AM I? - Starring multi-award-winning actor Daniel S. Janik as Trent Farow, and multii-awar...

01/12/2026

“WHAT DANCE AM I?” WINS FOUR MORE HONORABLE MENTIONS FROM BLUE BIRD FILM FESTIVAL!

IT’S clearly been an honorable weekend, what with JET Progress/Draqual Media’s newest released film, WHAT DANCE AM I? winning four more Honorable Mentions at the Blue Bird Film Festival to add to the eight Indian Movie Awards from yesterday, making it a whopping 12 awards: That covers BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT; BEST DRAMA SHORT; BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM; BEST INSPIRATIONAL FILM; BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM; BEST HISTORICAL FILM; BEST WEB AND NEW MEDIA as well as BEST SHORT SCRIPT. As of this moment, WHAT DANCE AM I? has won 52 awards at 17 international film festivals.

WHAT DANCE AM I? stars Daniel S. Janik and Sakura Kai with Pam Hoffman as narrator. Based loosely on the actual keen amateur partner-dance life of the lead actor and actress, WHAT DANCE AM I? is a reflective short film that follows two restless individuals searching for identity through movement. As they drift through contrasting environments and styles of dance, each reveals a different answer to who they might be—confident, vulnerable, defiant, lost or satisfied. By the end, the film suggests that identity isn’t found in any single dance, but in embracing the fluidity of becoming. William Maltese, screenwriter. Albert Franz, choreographer and dance director. Zachary M. Oliver, musical director.

An experimental film in several ways, WHAT DANCE AM I? is best considered an art film that proves that experimentation in style and presentation are still appreciated in filmmaking. https://youtu.be/Jh_zQGk02yI.

? .Janik .Oliver

JET Progress | Draqual Media's dramatic dance art film, WHAT DANCE AM I? - Starring multi-award-winning actor Daniel S. Janik as Trent Farow, and multii-awar...

01/10/2026

“WHAT DANCE AM I?” WINS 8 HONORABLE MENTIONS FROM INDIAN FILM AWARDS

TO begin with, WHAT DANCE AM I? is probably the most unusual of the JET Progress Productions films so far. Created by mult-award-winning screenwriter William Maltese to celebrate keen amateur partner dance rather than professional dance, the short was envisioned as a historically-based drama based on the dancer-lives of actor Daniel S. Janik and actress Sakura Kai [appearing together in STATIC (2021); WINNOWING; OTOSOTU (On The Other Side Of The Universe); AUDIENCE WITH A VAMPYRE; MOCOS the Miniseries; WHAT DANCE AM I?]. Both are, in fact, amateur ballroom and Latin dancers who have competed successfully internationally. What is most unusual about the film is that it is filmed as if it were being self-filmed by the dancers – “amateur-amateur” so to speak – with intervening clips from some of their actual amateur performances and competitions.

“It was a unique filming challenge, so subtile as to come across as being amateur, that not every viewer caught it,” says director Daniel S. Janik. Some, however, like Kollywood International Film Festival, Tamizhagam International Film Festival, South Cinematographic Academy Film & Arts, Gully International Film Festival, London Women’s Film Festival, Sittannavasal Film Festival, Nawada International Film Festival, Austin International Art Festival, MEI International Film Festival, Indian Diversity International FilmFare Awards, Hong Kong Indie Film Festival, Cleveland Arthouse Film Awards, Brooklyn International Short Awards, Cinema World Fest Awards and now Indian Movie Awards “got it,” the Indian Movie Awards specifically tapping it for BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM (HM); BEST INSPIRATIONAL FILM (HM); BEST DRAMA SHORT (HM); BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM (HM); BEST HISTORICAL FILM (HM); BEST WEB AND NEW MEDIA (HM); BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM (HM) and BEST SHORT SCRIPT (HM). Sp

“Special thanks to Supporting Voice Actress Pam Hoffman, Dance Consultant and Director Albert Franz and Musical Director Zachary M. Oliver. Our next film, MEDIUM OF DEATH, currently in filming, is written by screenwriter Richard Rose, who is also the associate producer, and stars Daniel S. Janik, Sakura Kai, Nickoma Ing and Shane Chisum. Anticipated release mid-2026.

? .Janik