I’m a sucker for Cinderella Stories and if you read this bullshit on a regular basis, then you know I have a taste for the over dramatics sometimes but this is a story I want to tell.
Back in the summer of 2003, Mandi and I took some time apart. I had reached an all time low with where I was in life. I had decided to pass on going back to LA in fear of yet again having to start over and well, I had fallen for a girl that wasn’t ready for LA. I was working at a shit restaurant with no prospects and I had become rather depressed. I began to mope and stayed rather disgruntled all the time. Subconsciously, I had blamed Mandi for keeping me in North Carolina and making me make that choice. We pushed each other away and there was no going back.
I then had another opportunity to move back to LA but chose to stay. The thought of borrowing more money from my parents for something, they thought was a bad idea at my age, weighted heavily on my shoulders.
I had secured a real job where I worked 8-5 and was bored to death. I missed Mandi. Within months, my position had been phased out and I found myself, desperate and almost suicidal. I knew I had to get out of Hickory fast. I had to get inspired again. I had to find what I had lost or I knew I would be dead. Scratch that… Everything I was would be dead. Scott and Stephanie offered me a place on their couch. I jumped on it. POOF! I was gone. Scott and Steph lived in Asheville. I had never been real fond, but at that point in time I would be OK with a cave in Afghanistan watching the boob tube with Osama. Three weeks in, I was still miserable,. I had been given a second chance at The Texas Roadhouse up there but where as the one in Hickory really helped one forget the hole I was in, the Asheville one did not. The people were different. The culture was different and I just didn’t fit in. Night after night I would take a couple of shots of Cuervo and sit on the bed with a pad and pencil and DO NOTHING, but look. Not one word would be put on paper.
Stephanie and Scott were getting married in New Jersey that October and of course asked me for my services. I hated doing weddings but of course, I have to earn my rent so I agreed. The more I thought about it, the more I thought, not only could I shoot their wedding but I could do sort of a road trip documentary. The boys and I were getting to the age where we were all going to have to grow up and this was sort of our last hooray so to speak. We left for New Jersey and I began filming. A sudden twist in the itinerary would change everything. The day after the wedding we decided not to go home. We went to New York, WTC and back down to DC and this was right after the Iraq War began so we captured a lot of cool footage. I could not wait to get home and start cutting. Everything opened up and I was inspired again. I found myself on off time sitting on a bench in downtown Asheville writing scripts and stories. I sat in our local quiet bar up there and churned out scene after scene of a feature I had planned one day to shoot.
Immediately following, I was hired on as a Production Manager at an advertising agency. The job sent me to shoot B Roll for Kenny Chesney’s ’I Go Back,’ video. I found myself in Chicago sinking a car and all over doing what I loved to do. I was laid off shortly after leaving Asheville and returning to Hickory. Mandi and I’s paths collided again and we were back together. We ventured to Florida where my skills and creativity would blossom. I was promised a job at Fox down there and through a bunch of BS lost it, so I was down there in holed up in our apartment for a month looking for a job and as I waited and waited after interview upon interview, I was honing my craft…. Reading books, learning to do the things I hadn’t had time to learn. Then finally I scored a job at a small time television company that produced a late night show. It was grueling. I was a one man crew with too much to do. I would have to shoot, update, cut, write and sometimes direct the shows on top of all the marketing promos, (flyers, banners, DVD’s etc.) Mike, my boss, burnt me out, but the job ended up being the boot camp of my creativity. My analogy to this experience is, I was like Christian Bale in Batman Begins. I traveled far and found a teacher that would work the shit out of me but when it was all over, I had become Batman. We returned to North Carolina and every wedding, commercial, or just stupid ass video were 500% better than they ever were and in between all that I had taught my self about building websites. I was a creative tick ready to pop.
The balls and the tools finally came for ’Meter’. Mark came to me through Freddy and within a sit down with him, I knew it was go time. This film was just a little six page script I had written after having a conversation with a very disgruntled man at Sergeant Peppers. The stuff he said overwhelmed me and when I got home I wrote it all down and thought, that would be a hell of a small short film that wouldn’t cost any money what so ever. I had just planned on grabbing a couple of my friends and shooting it in our driveway of the place we lived, but it fell through. Then I spent almost a year trying to find a lead, never being quite satisfied. The more I thought about the movie, the more I thought shooting it with a half ass actor and just shooting it half assed for kicks would be yet another waste of time.
Then that fateful night nearly two years later, I met Mark. Within a month we were rehearsing. Within two months we were shooting. Post production came where it was apparent that this film had become much bigger than I had ever planned. After the big premiere, my creative tick had mutated into a Godzilla type monster. I left the theatre after the premiere thinking, I hadn’t done a real movie in over eight years and I did this one without batting an eye. Not to say it was easy because it was tough as nails to get rolling on and then in post, the sound was a little out of my league, BUT technically and creatively, I nailed out with little sacrifice of my vision. I knew I had made it and after that moment, I could actually say I was a filmmaker.
Three months later, Mark and I found ourselves at the first film festival we had submitted to and had won second in the short drama category and sixth overall with our small film. The films that had placed higher had anywhere from 20,000 dollar budgets to even the ones placing below us of 5000. Mandi, Mark and I walked out of the downtown theatre satisfied and excited about the film festivals to come. I stopped on the sidewalk on Walnut Avenue and realized where I was. Across the street sat the bench I used to get away from everything and do some writing on. I then looked to my left to see the old quiet bar where I hashed out my feature. I had to smile. The place where I had become inspired again years before was the host of the place I had finally, after years of work, been recognized at.
I was done with that chapter of my life.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
American Idol.... Ruined!!!!
I am going to say this only once and be done with it. I do not hold grudges nor do I exile people out of my little world if they fuck me over, but some things cannot be forgiven. Mandi got me into this American Idol shit a couple years back. I got hooked on the Season that found Carrie Underwood win the final. I watched that whole season through it all and with the exception of a couple of eye catching cuts from the show it went as it should have. Carrie was by far the best singer as Bo had the best personality. Two seasons ago it was a singing compeitition and it shows. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are Grammy winners. Carrie Underwood’s first album is still in the Top 100 as it should be.
Last year, American Idol showed it’s age and forecasted it’s own demise. Maybe as its popularity grows, it brings out even the compulsive, psycho, slumming people that wouldn’t know a good singer from their next bag of smack. But as last year unfolded you couldn’t help but week after week cringe at which less talented singer would stay as a great singer would go. OK, Taylor Hicks was good. Sure, he had the personality. He sang the old school, I grew up on but.... Was he really the best out there? No. Elliot Yamin... Maybe. Kathryn McPhee... Yes. Chris Daughtery... Very Good and very marketable. If you include the whole package... If the moronic American people would really watch, listen, and think, Chris probably should have taken home the crowd--- Maybe. If parents would influence their kids in what real talent is and tell them that just because he has a trendy blond mohawk it does not mean the guy is talented. Yet they continue to let their two fourteen year old girls hike their cell phone bills up with 70 text votes a piece on somebody that completely sucks, musically. Daughtery last year was voted off fourth. Yes, were the real people, the people that knew what American Idol was looking for, upset? Of course they were, but I was sure and said that, "he’s got nothing to worry about. Somebody will produce his album and he’ll have the best selling album of any of the other three." Was I right? Of course I was. I’m one of those guys that really looks and votes for the cream of the crop. Where are Taylor and Kathryn? Kathryn’s album tanked. Taylor’s... Well it didn’t sell the superstar units that past winners, Kelly and Carrie did, but I think he did alright even with that suckhead ’Are You Proud of Me’ song. He’ll fall into that ’Easy Listening’ category like Rueben did in Gospel and sooner than later be an obscure name kind of like you and I’s. I wasn’t completely disappointed though. I liked Taylor. He was an entertainer and with Daughtery out I was able to swallow Taylor beating out Elliot and Kathryn.
This season came and when the final 12 were picked I was already unenthused. San-Fucko beat out Sundance which was the first miscarriage of justice of the season and it set the pace for the rest of the season. As more musically inclined singers were voted off and San Fucko stayed I grew more pissed. Not to say that Gina, Hayley, or Brandon had any chance to win the Idol Prize, but the weeks they were voted off, they lost to San-Fucko who had no talent at all stayed. Why? I mean it got to the point where Simon literally said, "well let’s try another way... It was great," in a sarcastic tone. Why was he immune to the proverbial ’see ya?’ It must of been his ’good looks.’ There’s another show on the CW for that kind of talent... It’s called ’America’s Next Top Model.’ Again, Gina, Brandon and the others may not have been the best, but the week they lost out, had Sanjaya been voted off, might would have given them another week to turn it all around and may have lasted longer in the compeitition. Sanjaya’s good looks finally caught up with him and he was voted off. What nobody realized is that the time he spent on the show caused a lot of Collateral Damage, and the show suffered from it, meaning that the rest of the season would be altered because of the unjustified text votes. This situation would set up too late in the game, the men’s beauty pageant between Chris and Blake, who both should have been gone in weeks 5 & 6. A couple of weeks went without incident. Phil should’ve have been gone much sooner than Gina or Brandon for that matter, but he were ousted nonetheless. Then LaKisha was voted off fourth to last. The lucky number four that Daughtery had been just a mere year earlier. I hope, (since she should have been in that covenant and fateful third slot from last night,) that her career will take off. She along with Melinda and Jordan were the only talented singers left when the smoke cleared in the final six. The 311 beatboxing Backstreet Boy should have well probably never escaped the Top 8. Which brings me to the whole reason I had to Rant about this.
You American Idol Junkie/Morons... You have ruined this SINGING COMPETITION with an obviously lack of knowledge of what real talent is. This show is not a talent, personality, looks compeitition. Sure there is the whole ’entertainer,’ ’showman’ and ’singer’ aspect needing to be considered, but when you are picking merely on how you feel or how ’good’ that contestant looked from week to week, you ruin a good thing. Of course, that is why America is so fucked up to begin with. We know how to ruin a good thing and you guys did it last night. You fuckin’ blew it and have ruined American Idol for me forever. I will not watch another minute of that debacle. You say Simon is an asshole. You want to know why he is an asshole? Because he can be. He apparently is the only one that really knows what he’s talking about and what the reality is. After last night and the whole Sanjaya thing, I will not be surprised if he does not return to AI next year if they even decide to do it again. (If they do they really need to reevaluate the voting process.) As Melinda Doolittle was voted out of the finale last night to an undeserving Blake Lewis, Simons hands went over his face and his eyes shifted back and forth because he like me knew, American Idol would never be the same show it was three years ago. He knew that his love child was now a convicted felon. The show would no longer be an accurate or pure way to find the undiscovered talented singers out there. Before last night, I actually could not wait to see the final duel between two great singers in Melinda and Jordan. I had picked Melinda as my favorite from all the way back to her audition and like the judges said, "you have been consistent each week. You are a pro and should already be making records." Paula on Tuesday night, said that one of her performances was the best of hers all season and Simon said, "Yet another brilliant performance." OK, so if she was the most consistent and by far was and even sang her best performance of the year the night before the final vote off, how the fuck did she get voted off? Some would say, nobody voted for her because she was a sure win. Others would say that Blake had every girl from 9-40 voting on him because "he is was so cute." Either way, yes Jordan belongs where she is and now, (if there is any justice or brains for that matter at all,) she should and will win AI. She’s seventeen and can belt with the best of them, but Melinda should be there with her sharing in the spotlight because, honestly she was the best. Sure she was older but thats how it goes. Melinda’s paid her dues and has grown with experience and training, but when Seacrest said it was the end of the road for her last night, I sat stunned as did Simon and I am sure many other true to form viewers in America did. I watched her montage with that gay ’Home’ song playing and immediately following the last frame cut the television off. That spark of AI was over for me. I remember not many moons ago when I couldn’t wait to get home from work, cook dinner and sit in front of the boob tube and watch some good looking, fantastically talented musicians belt it out for the biggest prize in the world today. Now with it’s oversaturated publicity and bandwagon schmucks out there voting for their favorite merely because of what kind of mood they were in that day, the fun is over. In the words of the one of the greatest songs ever recorded, "The Thrill is Gone."
I will never watch American Idol again. That is a fact. It is not like my past promises like, "I’m never smoking again." That is statement to me is exactly what it means. I will never watch that show again and do not be surprised to see Simon bowing out after this year. He obviously along with me is the only other one that sees the rotting trend happening. I am sure Melinda’s career will blossum and maybe, just maybe the third spot was the lucky number this year whereas in a year from now, Melinda’s album will be pumping out profits from her fourth number one song from her debut album while Blake, like his favorite band 311, will be the result in yet another ’alternative slash hip hop’ fatality. All I will say as I never speak of this show again, is when Melinda, Blake and Jordan’s albums come out, I am going to empty my savings and campaign, (in the streets if I have to,) to get Melinda’s album bought. I will buy thirty to forty albums myself and pass them out to the masses just to prove my point if needs be.
My point and believe me, I am the poster boy for this statement: It does not matter how good you are. It does not matter how hard you work. It doesn’t matter how much determination you have. If you don’t look as good as the other guy and don’t have as many friends. YOU WILL LOSE!!!!!
Fuck American Idol. Fuck it square in its ass. Simon, holla’. We’ll start a real show and not allow the American Public to taint it with their obvious delusions of what really makes a superstar.
Last year, American Idol showed it’s age and forecasted it’s own demise. Maybe as its popularity grows, it brings out even the compulsive, psycho, slumming people that wouldn’t know a good singer from their next bag of smack. But as last year unfolded you couldn’t help but week after week cringe at which less talented singer would stay as a great singer would go. OK, Taylor Hicks was good. Sure, he had the personality. He sang the old school, I grew up on but.... Was he really the best out there? No. Elliot Yamin... Maybe. Kathryn McPhee... Yes. Chris Daughtery... Very Good and very marketable. If you include the whole package... If the moronic American people would really watch, listen, and think, Chris probably should have taken home the crowd--- Maybe. If parents would influence their kids in what real talent is and tell them that just because he has a trendy blond mohawk it does not mean the guy is talented. Yet they continue to let their two fourteen year old girls hike their cell phone bills up with 70 text votes a piece on somebody that completely sucks, musically. Daughtery last year was voted off fourth. Yes, were the real people, the people that knew what American Idol was looking for, upset? Of course they were, but I was sure and said that, "he’s got nothing to worry about. Somebody will produce his album and he’ll have the best selling album of any of the other three." Was I right? Of course I was. I’m one of those guys that really looks and votes for the cream of the crop. Where are Taylor and Kathryn? Kathryn’s album tanked. Taylor’s... Well it didn’t sell the superstar units that past winners, Kelly and Carrie did, but I think he did alright even with that suckhead ’Are You Proud of Me’ song. He’ll fall into that ’Easy Listening’ category like Rueben did in Gospel and sooner than later be an obscure name kind of like you and I’s. I wasn’t completely disappointed though. I liked Taylor. He was an entertainer and with Daughtery out I was able to swallow Taylor beating out Elliot and Kathryn.
This season came and when the final 12 were picked I was already unenthused. San-Fucko beat out Sundance which was the first miscarriage of justice of the season and it set the pace for the rest of the season. As more musically inclined singers were voted off and San Fucko stayed I grew more pissed. Not to say that Gina, Hayley, or Brandon had any chance to win the Idol Prize, but the weeks they were voted off, they lost to San-Fucko who had no talent at all stayed. Why? I mean it got to the point where Simon literally said, "well let’s try another way... It was great," in a sarcastic tone. Why was he immune to the proverbial ’see ya?’ It must of been his ’good looks.’ There’s another show on the CW for that kind of talent... It’s called ’America’s Next Top Model.’ Again, Gina, Brandon and the others may not have been the best, but the week they lost out, had Sanjaya been voted off, might would have given them another week to turn it all around and may have lasted longer in the compeitition. Sanjaya’s good looks finally caught up with him and he was voted off. What nobody realized is that the time he spent on the show caused a lot of Collateral Damage, and the show suffered from it, meaning that the rest of the season would be altered because of the unjustified text votes. This situation would set up too late in the game, the men’s beauty pageant between Chris and Blake, who both should have been gone in weeks 5 & 6. A couple of weeks went without incident. Phil should’ve have been gone much sooner than Gina or Brandon for that matter, but he were ousted nonetheless. Then LaKisha was voted off fourth to last. The lucky number four that Daughtery had been just a mere year earlier. I hope, (since she should have been in that covenant and fateful third slot from last night,) that her career will take off. She along with Melinda and Jordan were the only talented singers left when the smoke cleared in the final six. The 311 beatboxing Backstreet Boy should have well probably never escaped the Top 8. Which brings me to the whole reason I had to Rant about this.
You American Idol Junkie/Morons... You have ruined this SINGING COMPETITION with an obviously lack of knowledge of what real talent is. This show is not a talent, personality, looks compeitition. Sure there is the whole ’entertainer,’ ’showman’ and ’singer’ aspect needing to be considered, but when you are picking merely on how you feel or how ’good’ that contestant looked from week to week, you ruin a good thing. Of course, that is why America is so fucked up to begin with. We know how to ruin a good thing and you guys did it last night. You fuckin’ blew it and have ruined American Idol for me forever. I will not watch another minute of that debacle. You say Simon is an asshole. You want to know why he is an asshole? Because he can be. He apparently is the only one that really knows what he’s talking about and what the reality is. After last night and the whole Sanjaya thing, I will not be surprised if he does not return to AI next year if they even decide to do it again. (If they do they really need to reevaluate the voting process.) As Melinda Doolittle was voted out of the finale last night to an undeserving Blake Lewis, Simons hands went over his face and his eyes shifted back and forth because he like me knew, American Idol would never be the same show it was three years ago. He knew that his love child was now a convicted felon. The show would no longer be an accurate or pure way to find the undiscovered talented singers out there. Before last night, I actually could not wait to see the final duel between two great singers in Melinda and Jordan. I had picked Melinda as my favorite from all the way back to her audition and like the judges said, "you have been consistent each week. You are a pro and should already be making records." Paula on Tuesday night, said that one of her performances was the best of hers all season and Simon said, "Yet another brilliant performance." OK, so if she was the most consistent and by far was and even sang her best performance of the year the night before the final vote off, how the fuck did she get voted off? Some would say, nobody voted for her because she was a sure win. Others would say that Blake had every girl from 9-40 voting on him because "he is was so cute." Either way, yes Jordan belongs where she is and now, (if there is any justice or brains for that matter at all,) she should and will win AI. She’s seventeen and can belt with the best of them, but Melinda should be there with her sharing in the spotlight because, honestly she was the best. Sure she was older but thats how it goes. Melinda’s paid her dues and has grown with experience and training, but when Seacrest said it was the end of the road for her last night, I sat stunned as did Simon and I am sure many other true to form viewers in America did. I watched her montage with that gay ’Home’ song playing and immediately following the last frame cut the television off. That spark of AI was over for me. I remember not many moons ago when I couldn’t wait to get home from work, cook dinner and sit in front of the boob tube and watch some good looking, fantastically talented musicians belt it out for the biggest prize in the world today. Now with it’s oversaturated publicity and bandwagon schmucks out there voting for their favorite merely because of what kind of mood they were in that day, the fun is over. In the words of the one of the greatest songs ever recorded, "The Thrill is Gone."
I will never watch American Idol again. That is a fact. It is not like my past promises like, "I’m never smoking again." That is statement to me is exactly what it means. I will never watch that show again and do not be surprised to see Simon bowing out after this year. He obviously along with me is the only other one that sees the rotting trend happening. I am sure Melinda’s career will blossum and maybe, just maybe the third spot was the lucky number this year whereas in a year from now, Melinda’s album will be pumping out profits from her fourth number one song from her debut album while Blake, like his favorite band 311, will be the result in yet another ’alternative slash hip hop’ fatality. All I will say as I never speak of this show again, is when Melinda, Blake and Jordan’s albums come out, I am going to empty my savings and campaign, (in the streets if I have to,) to get Melinda’s album bought. I will buy thirty to forty albums myself and pass them out to the masses just to prove my point if needs be.
My point and believe me, I am the poster boy for this statement: It does not matter how good you are. It does not matter how hard you work. It doesn’t matter how much determination you have. If you don’t look as good as the other guy and don’t have as many friends. YOU WILL LOSE!!!!!
Fuck American Idol. Fuck it square in its ass. Simon, holla’. We’ll start a real show and not allow the American Public to taint it with their obvious delusions of what really makes a superstar.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Possessed to SK8
Did I say I was burned out? For the past seven years I have devoted my free time, (and sometimes unfree,) to honing my craft and making any kind of "media" I could. All from sitting on my ass in front of my computer. The next ’digital’ element I want to take on is Flash and Cartoon Animation, but again, this involves sitting on my ass in front of a computer, so I have made a decision to split my time with another more ’active’ hobby.
I am picking up the skateboard again. If I can remember correctly I believe I was really, really good. I slashed verts, pools and had a phat street ramp back in the day. I skated Hosoi decks, Indy trucks and always, always Bones wheels. I couldn’t wait for the two summer vacations my family would take to Myrtle Beach so that I could thrash the streets, boardwalks, alleyways and hotel halls of Ocean Boulevard. Then I grew out of the board thing as I got older. There was wrestling, boarding school, public high school and so on and so forth. After four months of living in crowded Chinatown in downtown Los Angeles, I blew that joint to relocate to sunny Venice Beach, California. With that move, I picked up a street board. Apparently, vert boards had kind of trickled away, so I just went with the latest fad and bought one. Then I began skating the alleyways, boardwalks and piers of Venice. I had grown scared in my older age to do many of the risky tricks I had done years before, (not to mention, I was more limber then and had no insurance now.) I kept the tricks to a simple ollie or jump off of a curb in route to the local bar, convienent store or favorite newsstand. Skating had become a simple means of transportation in my small neighborhood.
One night at a party at my house, the board was nabbed and yeah, I was pissed, but did not lobby to save and buy a new one, so skating went away again.
PRESENT DAY
Did I tell you I was burned out? So--- I’m 33. I can’t play tennis. Can’t play basketball. Football is not a sport you can just do with yourself for a couple hours on a Saturday. There was Boxing, Biking, Mountain Climbing and well, Skateboarding. I was too old to fight. Bikes are too expensive these days and like a gym membership, mountain climbing would not be something I could do consistently and frequently enough to make it worth it. Another argument on this is that I may in fact be too old to ’start’ a new hobby completely. I knew I wasn’t going to completely stop what I was doing with the film thing. I just needed something else to do along side of it. Starting a new hobby at my age means I would have to devote all my time for the learning process. (That may take years in my particular case.) With all that said, it left skateboarding. So I pitched it to Mandi and began researching back into the world of the street sport. I caught up with who was who, what was what and realized those guys were pushing the boundaries of gravity a thousand times more now than they ever did. Mandi said I would be an idiot to do it. I knew I had to ease it in to her lightly. My plan was to buy one piece of the board a week until I had it all. I knew then Mandi couldn’t really be mad at me. I would technically only be spending about 30 to 40 dollars a week. Two days before I purchased the first piece of the skateboard puzzle, Mandi calls me and she’s bought me a complete from the local skate shop for my birthday. I was taken a back. She met me at the house and handed it to me... A street board, Element Muska... All black. There was only one stipulation in the purchase... Nothing crazy... No half pipes or street ramps until after we got married. I agreed. I figured it would take me that long to get my legs back. I hopped on it. Quite small from my normal ’Hosoi’ sized deck I was used to. After five minutes I started coasting along. I wouldn’t say it was like riding a bicycle but I had not forgotten entirely. After a couple of turns, I said ’fuck it’ and popped an ollie-- LANDED FLAT ON MY BACK. That was strike one. I had a lot of catching up to do. I couldn’t wait.
I am picking up the skateboard again. If I can remember correctly I believe I was really, really good. I slashed verts, pools and had a phat street ramp back in the day. I skated Hosoi decks, Indy trucks and always, always Bones wheels. I couldn’t wait for the two summer vacations my family would take to Myrtle Beach so that I could thrash the streets, boardwalks, alleyways and hotel halls of Ocean Boulevard. Then I grew out of the board thing as I got older. There was wrestling, boarding school, public high school and so on and so forth. After four months of living in crowded Chinatown in downtown Los Angeles, I blew that joint to relocate to sunny Venice Beach, California. With that move, I picked up a street board. Apparently, vert boards had kind of trickled away, so I just went with the latest fad and bought one. Then I began skating the alleyways, boardwalks and piers of Venice. I had grown scared in my older age to do many of the risky tricks I had done years before, (not to mention, I was more limber then and had no insurance now.) I kept the tricks to a simple ollie or jump off of a curb in route to the local bar, convienent store or favorite newsstand. Skating had become a simple means of transportation in my small neighborhood.
One night at a party at my house, the board was nabbed and yeah, I was pissed, but did not lobby to save and buy a new one, so skating went away again.
PRESENT DAY
Did I tell you I was burned out? So--- I’m 33. I can’t play tennis. Can’t play basketball. Football is not a sport you can just do with yourself for a couple hours on a Saturday. There was Boxing, Biking, Mountain Climbing and well, Skateboarding. I was too old to fight. Bikes are too expensive these days and like a gym membership, mountain climbing would not be something I could do consistently and frequently enough to make it worth it. Another argument on this is that I may in fact be too old to ’start’ a new hobby completely. I knew I wasn’t going to completely stop what I was doing with the film thing. I just needed something else to do along side of it. Starting a new hobby at my age means I would have to devote all my time for the learning process. (That may take years in my particular case.) With all that said, it left skateboarding. So I pitched it to Mandi and began researching back into the world of the street sport. I caught up with who was who, what was what and realized those guys were pushing the boundaries of gravity a thousand times more now than they ever did. Mandi said I would be an idiot to do it. I knew I had to ease it in to her lightly. My plan was to buy one piece of the board a week until I had it all. I knew then Mandi couldn’t really be mad at me. I would technically only be spending about 30 to 40 dollars a week. Two days before I purchased the first piece of the skateboard puzzle, Mandi calls me and she’s bought me a complete from the local skate shop for my birthday. I was taken a back. She met me at the house and handed it to me... A street board, Element Muska... All black. There was only one stipulation in the purchase... Nothing crazy... No half pipes or street ramps until after we got married. I agreed. I figured it would take me that long to get my legs back. I hopped on it. Quite small from my normal ’Hosoi’ sized deck I was used to. After five minutes I started coasting along. I wouldn’t say it was like riding a bicycle but I had not forgotten entirely. After a couple of turns, I said ’fuck it’ and popped an ollie-- LANDED FLAT ON MY BACK. That was strike one. I had a lot of catching up to do. I couldn’t wait.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
A Challenge....
You really have to love the art of independent filmmaking to be an independent filmmaker. I run into so many people who "want to make a movie," "want to be famous," and even the worst of them all, "want to make some money." Sure the money is a nice bonus but you have to be completely dedicated to your craft in order to "be" a filmmaker. I love guys I run into who say they are a "Director." They write a half assed script, max their credit card out, shoot the movie and go home. Unbeknownst to them who just last month wanted to be the next ’American Idol,’ they didn’t know that filmmaking wasn’t just a script, a camera, a couple of halogen lights and a microphone. No shot lists were created. No continuity was recorded and nobody even thought to record two separate audio tracks. This was just pre-production problems. Now, the filmmaker puts his footage in his pirated version of the mediocre Adobe Premiere and realizes, "wait a minute I don’t know how to edit! Color correction? What is that? I just want to be the next Steven Speilberg. Isn’t shooting the movie the hard part?"
The kid that reads Entertainment Weekly as homework and says it’s good film school, now plummets into a race to have his movie finished. He may find some other guy who does some movie editing or films weddings or some shit who offers to cut his movie on his off time, but doesn’t realize when he offers what kind of chicken shit he’s gotta’ make chicken salad out of and spends months and months of his own personal life trying to "just get through it" because his heart is not on or in the movie. He wasn’t on the set. He was never hired or inspired to be the ’Editor’ on the project. He’s doing it so he can turn around and tell his buddies, he just cut an ’actual independent film.’ Does the director come over to his house and sit next to him hours on end and play with the shots, read books, take classes on how to edit or film aesthetics in general? No. He sits at his house playing his Playstation bitching that ’Mr. Drag Ass Editor’ is taking too long to finish HIS movie. Has the Director even envisioned what kind of music he wants, sound design or sound effects he wants? Does he even know when that process comes up? Does he have any idea how he’s going to add blood, guts and swords to his movie since he of course the movie had to have it and he never used one sword prop on the set. He assumed and still assumes that is the Editor’s job. So he finally gets his movie back and through months and months of hard work, the editor actually did an OK job on it. He gets a thanks from the ’Director’ only after a three hour argument over why he didn’t clean up the sound, add sound effects, swords, blood or music. "Wait, you can do any of that?" The director asks. The Editor has no clue. Hell, he’s only shot two weddings so far and they were both his brother and sister’s. What the fuck does he know about CGI. He uses Movie Maker and his only knowledge comes from the Bonus Material on the Star Wars DVD’s. Well now the director puts in ads on the cess pool they call ’Craigs List’ stating: ’ Special Effects Artist Needed." Work for demo, food and the experience.’ What this knucklehead does not realize is that anybody that can put a Samurai sword into an actor’s hand in post and have them do some dumb hacked Matrix rehash are good enough SFX Artists that they don’t have to work for free. Fat chance he’s going to find a kid fresh out of the local community college ’film program’ that will even know his way around After Effect’s or Maya’s interface. (Complete pipe dream for Autodesk software for that matter.)
So anyway, you’re asking what is this all about. I’m about to tell you in the ’Dr. Gregory House,’ kind of way. In regards to the emails, phone calls and bullshit job offers that don’t pay up front—Don’t bother. I make shit money doing what I do and honestly if I wasted time listening to all the ’hair brain schemes’ and holding meetings with people blowing smoke about scripts, productions, and jobs, I would make even less shit money. If you have no passion for the art; If you are only looking for a quick paycheck, notoriety, or just to have bragging rights on a piece of your work… In the words of Jack Nicholson in ’As Good as it Gets’: Don’t come knocking. Sell bullshit somewhere else. Trust me, over the past three years I’m all stocked up here.
My parents, friends and wife already think I’m a liar from all the times I’ve spoke of jobs that never panned out because of somebody’s lack of motivation.
NOW—Back to that story about that ’so called filmmaker.’ DIRECTED COMPLETELY to YOU(without saying names, because I don’t spitball.) I know your story. That story I found out through the small grapevine we call the ’NC Film Community.’ I’ve been, excuse me, WAS tracking your progress. I thought maybe you would be a prime candidate to help out with what Freddy, Mark, Eric and I had going on. You called me ’second rate’ to the local entertainment periodical for this small section of North Carolina. I believe you and your "Agent", when asked if you knew of me, replied with "No, but they are a second rate film company compared to our outfit." The paper did not publish the story because instead of being positive about the sudden movement of film in the community, you spent the interview dogging the very people that would and could help you progress.
First of all—I don’t normally take offense of what people think or say about me, but this was completely uncalled for considering you’ve never met me nor seen any of my work. Secondly—Agent? Your Agent? Your Agent runs a talent agency out of Hickory, North Carolina. She runs a carpet cleaning business on the side and I’m sure that is the majority of her income. Again… Your Agent??!!! She runs a talent agency out of Hickory, NC. She might say she’s ’LA’ but I can promise you she’s never seen the inside of the office at ICM or the Gersh Agency, nor even been allowed a conversation with a mail room intern there. Your Agent???!!! The only agent, (Director/Writer wise,) needed around here is a cleaning agent to scrub the bullshit off the walls.
Third and finally, you are making a movie? Was your ’samurai’ movie ever completed? Son, I was cutting my forehead and beating myself up in my film when you were still getting beat up in the sand box in fifth grade. You lack what it takes to be a filmmaker. You haven’t done your homework. You have not put in your time. I have spent ten years going to film school, reading books, learning the art from the business to the creative side of this occupation. I can assure you, no I am not Steven Speilberg nor Gerald Nott but I can say my skills greatly surpass your expertise.
So I’m throwing down the gauntlet: Write a script—2 to 7 pages. I don’t care what it’s about. Make two copies. We’ll set a date and give ourselves a week to complete it. You can use a 100,000 dollar budget if you would like. I’ll use a weeks paycheck. I’ll get my crew, you get yours and we’ll shoot that movie and let the public decide who is ’second rate.’ If I lose, I will give you all three of my cameras. If I win you have to start a ’Garrick Lane’ fan site and be the webmaster for it for six months. How’s that sound? That’s how sure I am my ’second rate outfit’ will conquer. Think of it as David & Goliath. Only this time David, cuts Goliath’s paws off, slits his throat and stuffs his own tail up his own ass.
I am going to make you sorry you didn’t return my two emails requesting to get together. I might have been able to make the samurai sword dance and sing and if I couldn’t do it, I could have probably put it in the right hands of somebody that could.
Ol and by the way--- I’m going to use YOUR Movie Maker/Family Wedding Editor to cut my film if you choose to take this challenge. I’ll teach him more in forty eight hours than you have learned in the what—Two years you’ve read Entertainment Weekly.
You may dislike or disagree with another filmmaker’s film. Heck, you may hate every film he has ever done and that’s OK, but believe that even the worst of the worst had a dream, the motivation and most importantly the knowledge and fortitude to get the films financed, packaged and into the multiplexes or straight to DVD releases. So again, think about my offer. If not go back to your Playstation, slam some control pads down and just make movies in your head. They are much cheaper and well, take less fortitude and knowledge to make.
ACCEPT:Email Me.
DECLINE: There are some good tutorials online about Movie Maker.
The kid that reads Entertainment Weekly as homework and says it’s good film school, now plummets into a race to have his movie finished. He may find some other guy who does some movie editing or films weddings or some shit who offers to cut his movie on his off time, but doesn’t realize when he offers what kind of chicken shit he’s gotta’ make chicken salad out of and spends months and months of his own personal life trying to "just get through it" because his heart is not on or in the movie. He wasn’t on the set. He was never hired or inspired to be the ’Editor’ on the project. He’s doing it so he can turn around and tell his buddies, he just cut an ’actual independent film.’ Does the director come over to his house and sit next to him hours on end and play with the shots, read books, take classes on how to edit or film aesthetics in general? No. He sits at his house playing his Playstation bitching that ’Mr. Drag Ass Editor’ is taking too long to finish HIS movie. Has the Director even envisioned what kind of music he wants, sound design or sound effects he wants? Does he even know when that process comes up? Does he have any idea how he’s going to add blood, guts and swords to his movie since he of course the movie had to have it and he never used one sword prop on the set. He assumed and still assumes that is the Editor’s job. So he finally gets his movie back and through months and months of hard work, the editor actually did an OK job on it. He gets a thanks from the ’Director’ only after a three hour argument over why he didn’t clean up the sound, add sound effects, swords, blood or music. "Wait, you can do any of that?" The director asks. The Editor has no clue. Hell, he’s only shot two weddings so far and they were both his brother and sister’s. What the fuck does he know about CGI. He uses Movie Maker and his only knowledge comes from the Bonus Material on the Star Wars DVD’s. Well now the director puts in ads on the cess pool they call ’Craigs List’ stating: ’ Special Effects Artist Needed." Work for demo, food and the experience.’ What this knucklehead does not realize is that anybody that can put a Samurai sword into an actor’s hand in post and have them do some dumb hacked Matrix rehash are good enough SFX Artists that they don’t have to work for free. Fat chance he’s going to find a kid fresh out of the local community college ’film program’ that will even know his way around After Effect’s or Maya’s interface. (Complete pipe dream for Autodesk software for that matter.)
So anyway, you’re asking what is this all about. I’m about to tell you in the ’Dr. Gregory House,’ kind of way. In regards to the emails, phone calls and bullshit job offers that don’t pay up front—Don’t bother. I make shit money doing what I do and honestly if I wasted time listening to all the ’hair brain schemes’ and holding meetings with people blowing smoke about scripts, productions, and jobs, I would make even less shit money. If you have no passion for the art; If you are only looking for a quick paycheck, notoriety, or just to have bragging rights on a piece of your work… In the words of Jack Nicholson in ’As Good as it Gets’: Don’t come knocking. Sell bullshit somewhere else. Trust me, over the past three years I’m all stocked up here.
My parents, friends and wife already think I’m a liar from all the times I’ve spoke of jobs that never panned out because of somebody’s lack of motivation.
NOW—Back to that story about that ’so called filmmaker.’ DIRECTED COMPLETELY to YOU(without saying names, because I don’t spitball.) I know your story. That story I found out through the small grapevine we call the ’NC Film Community.’ I’ve been, excuse me, WAS tracking your progress. I thought maybe you would be a prime candidate to help out with what Freddy, Mark, Eric and I had going on. You called me ’second rate’ to the local entertainment periodical for this small section of North Carolina. I believe you and your "Agent", when asked if you knew of me, replied with "No, but they are a second rate film company compared to our outfit." The paper did not publish the story because instead of being positive about the sudden movement of film in the community, you spent the interview dogging the very people that would and could help you progress.
First of all—I don’t normally take offense of what people think or say about me, but this was completely uncalled for considering you’ve never met me nor seen any of my work. Secondly—Agent? Your Agent? Your Agent runs a talent agency out of Hickory, North Carolina. She runs a carpet cleaning business on the side and I’m sure that is the majority of her income. Again… Your Agent??!!! She runs a talent agency out of Hickory, NC. She might say she’s ’LA’ but I can promise you she’s never seen the inside of the office at ICM or the Gersh Agency, nor even been allowed a conversation with a mail room intern there. Your Agent???!!! The only agent, (Director/Writer wise,) needed around here is a cleaning agent to scrub the bullshit off the walls.
Third and finally, you are making a movie? Was your ’samurai’ movie ever completed? Son, I was cutting my forehead and beating myself up in my film when you were still getting beat up in the sand box in fifth grade. You lack what it takes to be a filmmaker. You haven’t done your homework. You have not put in your time. I have spent ten years going to film school, reading books, learning the art from the business to the creative side of this occupation. I can assure you, no I am not Steven Speilberg nor Gerald Nott but I can say my skills greatly surpass your expertise.
So I’m throwing down the gauntlet: Write a script—2 to 7 pages. I don’t care what it’s about. Make two copies. We’ll set a date and give ourselves a week to complete it. You can use a 100,000 dollar budget if you would like. I’ll use a weeks paycheck. I’ll get my crew, you get yours and we’ll shoot that movie and let the public decide who is ’second rate.’ If I lose, I will give you all three of my cameras. If I win you have to start a ’Garrick Lane’ fan site and be the webmaster for it for six months. How’s that sound? That’s how sure I am my ’second rate outfit’ will conquer. Think of it as David & Goliath. Only this time David, cuts Goliath’s paws off, slits his throat and stuffs his own tail up his own ass.
I am going to make you sorry you didn’t return my two emails requesting to get together. I might have been able to make the samurai sword dance and sing and if I couldn’t do it, I could have probably put it in the right hands of somebody that could.
Ol and by the way--- I’m going to use YOUR Movie Maker/Family Wedding Editor to cut my film if you choose to take this challenge. I’ll teach him more in forty eight hours than you have learned in the what—Two years you’ve read Entertainment Weekly.
You may dislike or disagree with another filmmaker’s film. Heck, you may hate every film he has ever done and that’s OK, but believe that even the worst of the worst had a dream, the motivation and most importantly the knowledge and fortitude to get the films financed, packaged and into the multiplexes or straight to DVD releases. So again, think about my offer. If not go back to your Playstation, slam some control pads down and just make movies in your head. They are much cheaper and well, take less fortitude and knowledge to make.
ACCEPT:Email Me.
DECLINE: There are some good tutorials online about Movie Maker.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
I Need A Favor
For all that read my garble-- (And I know you do. This thing has a counter,) I need a favor. It’s not a favor out of sympathy by any means. It is a favor that will give back to you. I know everybody is busy uploading pictures they have taken of themselves and adding slideshow after slideshow until their profile becomes a ten minute ordeal to even view and if that is not busy enough for you... There’s always all that dumb shit on YouTube so how would anybody have time for a small fill your name out vote?
Anyway, I’ll make it easy for you... ALL OF YOU! My friend Clint is trying out for "Who wants to be a superhero?" It’s a show on Sci-Fi and he’s up against two schmoes to get a bid into the compeition and they are voting on it on scifi.com. Clint probably does not need the votes to win. His character and personality is tremendously bigger than the other two... BUT HEAVEN FORBID THOSE JAG OFFS HAVING MORE MYSPACE FRIENDS VOTING, RIGHT? So again, I’m going to make it easy for you. Simply click on ’Thorn’s’ picture below, it will open up a new window and you simply vote for Thorn, fill in your name and your back to your web surfing in no time. Clint is a personal friend of mine, even though I don’t keep up like I should. We got our start in this business together and he has since starred in three movies, written two books, and I’m sure attended every Renaissance Festival in all of Southern California. He’s a class act that’s busted his ass to be where he is today. In alone, that characteristic is ’super hero.’
If you don’t know him, but LIKE me--- VOTE for him.
Anyway, I’ll make it easy for you... ALL OF YOU! My friend Clint is trying out for "Who wants to be a superhero?" It’s a show on Sci-Fi and he’s up against two schmoes to get a bid into the compeition and they are voting on it on scifi.com. Clint probably does not need the votes to win. His character and personality is tremendously bigger than the other two... BUT HEAVEN FORBID THOSE JAG OFFS HAVING MORE MYSPACE FRIENDS VOTING, RIGHT? So again, I’m going to make it easy for you. Simply click on ’Thorn’s’ picture below, it will open up a new window and you simply vote for Thorn, fill in your name and your back to your web surfing in no time. Clint is a personal friend of mine, even though I don’t keep up like I should. We got our start in this business together and he has since starred in three movies, written two books, and I’m sure attended every Renaissance Festival in all of Southern California. He’s a class act that’s busted his ass to be where he is today. In alone, that characteristic is ’super hero.’
If you don’t know him, but LIKE me--- VOTE for him.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Thursday, March 8, 2007
The Boys Are Back!
If you want the backstory of the labor of love of mine, see the Jobbers (Original) Page or Click here. I am going to pick up this section after leaving the film festival circuits and putting the damn movie behind me. The plant I had worked out while I reedited the movie had these great boxes that very snuggily fit two rows of DV tapes in it. It was uncanny. Almost as if they were made for them. Anyway, I managed to get them to donate me enough of those to archive all the DV tapes I had collected over the years. For the first time in my life, I was going to get my Archive Footage organized. I did all of that. Separating the weddings, the movies and random footage. Putting it all in its separate boxes, but leaving one smaller box that I labeled masters. It held every master of everything I had ever shot and cut, (which at the time was really only ten tapes.) I wrapped the Film Festival Jobber Master up and put it away. As I moved from Asheville back to Hickory I was loading my DV archived boxes into a separate box. Vinyard, my lab was about 8 months at the time and I actually had his brother as well because a guy at my work was planning on taking him, but bailed at the last minute. So I have two labs of 8 months in the house. I loaded my box of DV tapes or at least I thought I had and took off to the storage room to empty it. Thirty minutes later, I returned to house and found that I had excluded one of DV boxes. Of course it was the Master box and the dogs had commenced in chewing them to shreds. Vinyard looked up at me. The actually tape, not the shell was drooling from his mouth. I pryed open his mouth and pulled the tape out. I feared the worst and got it. The label, ink smeared from his saliva read ’Jobbers Festival Master.’ That was the last time that dog ever chewed anything… (Yeah right.) I wasn’t as heart broken as I should have been. I had an external hard drive with all the files and raw footage on it, so it would just be a matter of plugging it up and reconnecting the media.
Yeah right, the external blew when I was working on a wedding. I was screwed. People everywhere wanted a DVD of the film and I had nothing. Not even a clip. I tucked the video away. I hated the damn thing still at that time and then last year. My friend Chip called and had had a party and on a whim popped in the first cut of the film and showed some friends. He started ranting about how everybody loved it and I should pass some copies out. I hung up the phone and remember saying, "Yeah fuckin’ right." Well, then I received a phone call from a gentlemen last October who ran a semi small DVD distribution company in Southern Florida who had seen the film back on the fest circuit and had been trying to track me down for almost a year. He wanted to distribute the film as a ’Straight to DVD’ release. I laughed hysterically until I realized he was serious. Then I laughed hysterically again realizing I didn’t have the master to even begin the process of a ’Special Double DVD Edition’ of the film. He gave me a deadline... Christmas 2007. I told him to give me until the end of summer.I only have three more tapes to capture and I can start piecing back up the award winning cut of Jobbers and maybe make a couple of bucks to pay off my still pending ’Hospital Bills’ that are in collection.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The Premiere & Things to Come
The only thing I can say about my premiere was that I didn't get to film any of it and my opening speech sucked. The whole week before I was a nervous wreck as early reviews came in and I realized this film may not go over too well in the heart of the "Bible Belt," we've come to know as Hickory, NC. I was petrified. The night before the premiere I watched The Departed. (Best Movie I've seen since... Maybe the English Patient.) Anyway, this movie relieved me for the simple fact that it was up for Best Picture and had every cuss word known to man it. There was blood and guts and well-- A hugely opinionated movie like Meter is really not all that bad. The next day, I found myself worried again, but as Mark and I took a break from lining chairs, Mark had a really good point when he said that, " Intelligent people come to these sort of things. They are open minded and we should not have an issue." As two people strong filed into the CAST Theatre. I began to get nervous. My introduction was terrible. My mouth was dry. My eyes wouldn't focus and I kept saying, "Uh..." The lights went down and I stepped out of the theatre and watched from outside the doors. As the final blast went off I stepped back in as the credits began to roll. We had a small response and three people got up and left before the credits were over. As the lights went up and I drug Freddy and Mark up to the front the ovation was loud. In fact they were standing. I spotted friends of my parents up on their feet applausing the movie. My nervous level shifted to relaxed and controlled as we began the Q & A. As people asked questions I realized that this film had become much bigger than I had ever imagined. It may do OK at film festivals. If nothing else put us on the map in North Carolina, so when the time was right we may be able to garner a couple of investors to take a chance with us. I walked out of the theatre with perma-grin. It was over. Now, we would only have to do it again when we entered and were excepted to festivals.
I hadn't felt this good and inspired since I showed Jobbers to the cast and crew and we realized that the movie nobody understood had become a cult classic. Mandi said the day after that she had never been so proud of me. My father had not shown in fear that if the film would have gone the other way his reputation and standing in the community would have been jeopardized, but I found out later he had stepped off the slopes, (he went skiing,) to call Mom because he couldn't wait to find out how it went and Mom had to tell him... " Your son did it. They all loved it." I had made my mark. Three days later, I'm still having a hard time sleeping. I just can't shake that moment when we walked to the front and people were standing, smiling, overwhelmed.
When one was asked, "How did you like the film," his response was, "words can't describe it. It was something you are just glad you were apart of." I was glad I was apart of it too. This is the last entry I will do in the 'Meter Journal.' If this film is excepted to Film Festivals, I will begin a new journal of the journey it takes. I almost can't wait to see what happens next...
Here is a small video tribute of the process of 'Meter.'
The Making of Meter
I hadn't felt this good and inspired since I showed Jobbers to the cast and crew and we realized that the movie nobody understood had become a cult classic. Mandi said the day after that she had never been so proud of me. My father had not shown in fear that if the film would have gone the other way his reputation and standing in the community would have been jeopardized, but I found out later he had stepped off the slopes, (he went skiing,) to call Mom because he couldn't wait to find out how it went and Mom had to tell him... " Your son did it. They all loved it." I had made my mark. Three days later, I'm still having a hard time sleeping. I just can't shake that moment when we walked to the front and people were standing, smiling, overwhelmed.
When one was asked, "How did you like the film," his response was, "words can't describe it. It was something you are just glad you were apart of." I was glad I was apart of it too. This is the last entry I will do in the 'Meter Journal.' If this film is excepted to Film Festivals, I will begin a new journal of the journey it takes. I almost can't wait to see what happens next...
Here is a small video tribute of the process of 'Meter.'
The Making of Meter
Thursday, January 18, 2007
The Odds of Getting Even
I received some more good news this morning. Well, it wasn’t exactly news, well maybe it was... What am I talking about? It was pretty DAMN GOOD news. Freddy, my partner in crime, is a friend of Ving Rhames and they were talking and Freddy guided him to my website to check out the Meter trailer. He watched it and was apparently impressed with what he saw. I was telling Mandi the news and how, I don’t know, she could not put a name with a face on him. So I sent her a link to Ving’s profile on IMDB when I saw it... I knew it was in production when we were in Vegas for Ryan’s wedding but low and behold Ocean’s 13’s teaser had been posted. I had to immediately share it with everybody. This may be the only franchised series of films that still holds its weight in water.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
