Collect Experiences. Not Things. :')

July 31, 2008

Farmer's Market

Every summer (from July to Oct) a group of NJ Farmers bring their produce to downtown Newark to sell. And while the hard, tasteless tomatoes from the supermarket are available year round, the sweet, tasteful, vine ripened are bad a couple of months a year....as is the corn, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. Fresh produce tastes to much better.

A Note from the Obama Campaign

Less than 24 hours ago, the McCain campaign launched the latest and lowest in a series of misleading attack ads.

This Karl Rove-style ploy misleads people about Barack's energy plan and even mocks his ability to inspire voters and bring Americans back into the political process.

Watchdogs in the media are calling McCain's accusations "bogus," "desperate," "wrong," "misleading," "ugly," "offensive," "reckless," and "a nasty turn into the gutter."

Some of McCain's own supporters agree. One senior Republican strategist quoted by the Washington Post called the latest ad a "wild swing at Obama" that reflects his campaign's "increasing bitterness" and the lack of "any coherent strategy to elect McCain."

Film Shoot: It's a Wrap


We completed the last day of filming on Sunday. The entire film is in the can, as they say. It was an emotional experience especially for the Executive Producer, who wrote the story, shepherded the writing of the script and financially backed the making of the film (actually video. it was shot on miniDV).

And while the film is in the can, there seems to be a shortage of funds to finish the film. Joel and George are searching for these funds. I'm guessing they intend to edit a quick trailer to show case the footage end generate some investing interest. There seems to be a glut of low budget films these days. Similarly, there seems to be fewer and fewer investors given the financial state of the financial markets.

Overall, I must say I learned a lot of this film, both of what to do and what not to do. I think in retrospect, everyone agrees we should have had a little more time for preproduction. If we had a little more time to plan, we could have saved some significant dinero. Jumping into production full-speed ahead without filming locations locked down caused a lot of confusion, uncertainty and undue stress, and ultimately more money spent.

On Monday after filming wrapped, I spend a half day in the production office finishing paperwork and the final payroll numbers. Later the same night, I met with two college friends for dinner and a few drinks. It wasn't a late night. I was home in bed by 10:30 but I was exhausted. On Tuesday, I did some laundry and cleaned up my apartment. I haven't done either for the prior four weeks, since before the shoot started. Then I tried to watch a three Netflix DVD's, I just couldn't stay a wake. I kept falling asleep, waking, reversing, falling asleep, waking, reversing. Ultimately, I got through the DVD, I think, then when to bed early 9 PM. Even on Tuesday, I took a two hour nap. The 4 week, 7 days a week, shoot was catching up on me. That, or I just getting old. A little of both, I'm guessing.

Today I feel rested, and I'm going to resume working on my screenplays.

Three Things I Really Hate

1) Waiting in a slow check out line facilitated by an incompetent clerk.

2) Spilling/dropping/breaking things. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should spill, drop or break things. Absolutely no reason.

3) Losing things. I recently lost my sunglass of three years, and then found them. I was so happy. More happy than I should have been, sadly enough.

July 30, 2008

Christian the Lion

Where did these guys get those hair cuts? I want one!

July 19, 2008

Movie Set Life

We're a little over half way completed filming the movie "YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN VIOLENT". The film suggests a rural “Kids” meets “Fight Club.” The logline is: kids are forced to participate in a secret fight club run by town officials. Check out the website and IMDB for more info.

I’ve been working on the same production since June 28th. It's expected to come to an end on July 27th. While things have been chaotic at times, I've been learning a lot. I've been doing a variety of things, many of witch may sound boring, but it’s been a lot of fun, because mostly it’s been an unveiling of the movie making shroud for me personally. Things I've been involved with:

1) Assisting with casting call.
2) Liaison between SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) and the film’s production company.
3) Facilitating contracts between cast and crew and film’s attorney.
4) Calculating weekly payroll and forwarding to the film’s accountant.
5) Scouting set locations (ext. house, ext. bar, small rural town).
6) Post short location videos on blogsite to share with crew members.

I've also been helping out on set, but not a lot, mostly because I need to be near an internet connection and in contact with SAG, the film’s accountant and attorney, and I've been driving around NJ scouting film locations, etc.

July 18, 2008

Don't Grow Old Without A Few Cold Ones

Delaware River, NJ - one cooler per five tubes.

Camping - Glacier National Park, MT

Camping and Canoeing - Boundary Waters, MN

"Russian Hooker" Halloween Drag - Tracks, Washington, DC

July 03, 2008

Obama vs. McCain

After an exciting democratic primary season, where Obama came from no where to win the party's presumptive nomination away from the pre-preliminary season presumptive nominee, Hilary Clinton. Every couple of weeks there was another primary, the race was close and exciting.

Now the Obama vs. McCain Campaign season is just been plain BORING.

1) Young (age 46) vs. Old (age 71).

2) Computer User vs. Computer Illiterate.

3) Internet Campaign vs. Town Hall Meeting Campaign.

4) Changing Current Policies vs. Keeping Current Policies.

5) Getting out of Iraq vs. Staying in Iraq .

6) Fixing the Economy vs. Doesn't Know Much About the Economy .

7) YouTube and Blogs vs. Mainstream Corporate Network News.

8) Flip-flop (moving towards the middle) vs. Flip-flop (moving towards the right).

And then we have Obama fighting claims that he's a Christian that attended a black church for twenty years, he's a Muslim, he doesn't wear a flag pin on his lapel, and he hates his country .

Then we have McCain claiming he will be a better commander-in-chief because he was shot down and held captive in Vietnam. Personally, and I'm only guessing, but I think he be viewed as more intelligent if he was not shot down. How much intelligence do you need to be shot down? Then again, Intelligence isn't one of McCain's strong points. He was ranked 894 out of 899 in his graduating college class.

The bottom line is CHANGE is hard. Most people don't like change. Obama might present too much of a change, if so, then voters will vote for McCain. If voters are not afraid of change, then they'll vote for Obama. Simple as that.

The Economy (housing crisis, gas and food prices, potential recession) will trump the Iraq War, without a doubt during this election.

YAWN!!!

July 01, 2008

Enuff Riting...


Okay, I'm tired of sitting in my apartment, daydreaming, and writing scripts. Actually, I don't mind it at all, but on the spur of them moment last week, via some obscure email exchange with a friend of a friend, I was forward contact info of the friend of the friend's friend, who’s in the film business and has a film was currently play in NYC. Expectantly, she didn't have a great deal free-time at the moment, promoting her film and all, but she did offer to get back in touch in a month or so. Her film is Full Grown Men and it’s playing in NYC theaters, unfortunately it didn’t get a lot of fresh reviews .

Anyway this got me thinking about film production work, so I checked on craigslist.com and found an ultra-low budget film "Rivers Run Over Me" looking for Production Assistants/Interns/Volunteers. I replied, interviewed, they said yes they could use my assistance, and sent me the script to read with a note that said "let me know your thoughts". So Neanderthal me, well I read the script, wrote a six point “my thoughts” memo. The last point being the ending was weak. There was no resolve. So, I scribble an alternative ending, not much just two pages, with some general ideas, and forward it to the producer. The producer of the film, Darien Sills-Evans”, was an actor on “Cosby” and “Third Watch”. And this is the email I get back:

“Mike,

While I'm appreciate (sic) your enthusiasm, I can't say that you are approaching this in the most professional manner. For future reference, you should know that under no circumstances should you attampt (sic) to re-write the ending of someone else's film -- especially if you are being considered for a Production Assistant position.

Even though I am a co-writer and producer, the film is John's vision and even I would not dare impose on that. He is the director, not I. How you or I would do it, is completely irrelevant.

Again, thank you for your interest in working on "Rivers Wash Over Me", but I'm afraid at this time, we'll have to pass. Perhaps on our future productions we will be able to work together.

Please cease and desist writing or re-writing our copyrighted materials and characters immediately.

Best of luck to you and your projects.

Sincerely,
Darien Sills-Evans

When I got this email, I was like what the f***?

First of all, if you didn't want my thoughts, then why did you ASK ME? If you provides me a 90 page document, and asked me my thoughts, I’m going to give em to you.

Secondly, what artistic vision? I’m guessing most “production assistants” would just kiss ass. But give me a break, if the material is crap, then face it, the material
is crap. Choosing to hide behind artistic license is just BS.

If ya can't handle an honest, unbiased opinion observation, then DON’T ask!

Well anyway, basically I got fired from my first intern, before I even started. The next day, I responded to another post on craigslist.com and found another totally kewl production company. I’ve only been involved with the productoin team for two days – mostly assisting with a casting call - nevertheless they seem like a great group of people. Hopefully, all goes well, I’ll learn something and observe the filmmaking process.