Haunt of Fear!

So, I know it’s been awhile since i’ve posted to all my loyal reader(s) out there, but this movie shit is tiring. I love it!
The last three days of shooting were for a photo montage (gayest pillow fight ever!) at the airport, a local hotel suite, and the movie theatre. The people at the theatre burned us, though. Can you believe that? we walk right into the airport with no problem, but the movie theatre…no dice.
That’s exactly why i’m gettin’ on a plane when this thing is all done!
We shot some beautiful scenes at the museum, and i have to say it brought a tear to my eye to have people yelling “fuck” in front of my favorite painting “Looking down Yosemite valley” by Albert Beirstadt. sigh
All in all, folk(s) everything is going smoothly.
we have a five day shhoting block coming up, so I’ll be out of it. visit me today at the coffee shop, and I’ll tell you all about it. Holla!
See you all soon.

Today was the shiznittle snip-snap-snip!
We shot the thrilling birthday party scene, and it went over beautifully.
No hitches whatsoevah!
Allsaid and done, this weekend was a perfect barometer of how things will go. The crew rocks, the actors rock, and damn it, I love my characters.
Well, got a week of coffee making to get through, then it’s back at it.
i love Daylight savings spring forward day. that menas it’s daytime when I leave work.
sweet.
keep it real, tricks!

Happy Daylight savings…day!

Yesterday was the first full day of filming on the show, and damn it went smoothly.
First, there was a brief scene at a local bookstore, Little Professor.
The light was perfekt, the actors were on. Except for a brief problem getting a character to hit the register keys hard enough, all was well. Also, I flirted with the cool clerk who works there. He he.

After that, Brad, our lead Chris, and our grip peter went to Ruby Tuesday where we were served by a cute little girl who calls herself Smoobaby. She really seemed to like her job. I had a black and bleu burger and we talked about wether or not M. Night Shyamalan should ever write his own material again or not.

After that, on to location two…my Ma’s house!

In adition to letting us use her home, smoke in her bathroom, and letting us make her stay in the bedroom while we shot, she also prepared us up a mess of vittles and got me a congratulations cake. i love my Ma. My brother the Robocop showed up and palled around with the crew(as much as the cop can pal around with strangers, mind you) and we shot some pretty cool looking stuff.

So, finally, it’s come and gone. Day one. No MAJOR hiccups, smooth sailing. Our crew was formed on the fly. we were getting scared a bit towards the end, but the people we have all kick ass right now.
It’s nice to be around people you look forward to sharing credit for a job well done with. Damn nice.

Today is day two, and…it looks like rain…

Oh, and see Slither. Old school shit!
bye for now.

Visit the store… http://www.cafepress.com/loungeactetc

Why do I do these things to myself?
12.5 hour shift today.
Laundry.
Then I film in the morning.
American Idol can eat my gland.

come visit me, if you wanna share the love…

Lucy’s coffee and tea, 2007 university Blvd.

See you yeggs in the funny pages…

Switched it up on ya, boyyyy!

Check em’ out!

Who You WIT’?Come visit my store on CafePress!

Last night, last chance to reherse.
Everyone was spot on.
It is soo damn sweet to hear my words from real characters.
Believe me, i’ve had my work legitimately butchered before.
One day and about 13 hours to go. Brad is still finding his voice for some of the material thst shifts tone a bit. Leanna Mitchell is kicking ass as…well, you’ll just have to wait and see. And Chris “professor twist” burch is the downhome sage I’d invisioned from the get go.

All is well. I feel religious.

Love me, baby…

There was a full cast reading on Monday night, and while it wasn’t tragic, there were some pacing problems that may have been scary to the uninitiated. I took it in stride.
Last night was the first of two rehersals we’ll get to have, officially, before the beginning of shooting on Saturday (April fools day, but who buys into that shit?)
I have to say that I’m really starting to get excited. Everyone is feeling out their parts so well. My leading ladys are beautiful, and a delight, and actually bear suprising resemblances in character to the roles they are playing.
This means less acting and more living the part.
I love that.
Suisan Buie is so sweet and beautiful, she literally makes me want to cry, and Beth Hanic is just a damn sexy creature.
My guys, well, they kick ass.
Brad Watkins was always my boy for the role of Ringo, but the lead, Joey, has made quite a few changes over the past few weeks. Chris Sams, today’s Joey, is the man, though. He is younger, happier, and whiter than what the original source material intended, but damn if that boy ain’t bringing his A game to this little movie.

Wait until you get a load of Cay and Vance. They may actually steal this flick.

All in all, I’m very excited about this. I can’t believe it’s finally here. Most importantly, though, I can’t wait to play with these people and see what they give me.

They’re ready to bring my story to life. Until I have a kid to train in my special blend of Kung-Fu and Breakdancing, I think this is the happiest a bastard like me can ever be.

Now, more Illeana.
I want her bad.

Is it strange that I’m not at all nervous about this whole “directing my first full length movie in less than a week” thing?
I mean, it is a very big step professionally, if not necessarily personally. Personally, I’ve had lot greater challenges, believe me.
No, I’m not nervous at all. I know what I want from my crew and actors. I know how I want nearly every shot to be executed. I know what I want on the poster.
And even at this point, the main concerns are still wrangling crew and hopes that the cast are as professional as we need them to be, due to a slightly difficult schedule and total lack of budget. I’m keeping it together.
Honestly, all my concerns lie with whether or not I’m still going to get the product I initially set out to create. There have been MANY asthetic concessions I’ve had to make on this picture due to everything from tug of war with producers and incorrect assumptions about the material down to just plain lack of possibility.
But this flick being made on an extreme learning curve. For every big thing that fell right into place, there are ten little things that would drive me crazy if I let them. The product will stand as a testament, though. The audience won’t know what and where changes had to be made, not until I reveal them in a commentary in a year or so. The audience won’t know about the discussion/arguments that I’ve had about, honestly, matters that would not affect the product on the screen in the LEAST.

But the bottom line is this. I have worked in some form or fashion in a creative state for my entire life. We all know that art is subjective, and everyone has their methods. After some completely foul expiriences with people who had no idea what they wanted out of art, I had decided that being autocratic was the only way to acheive anything. Of course, this state of mind is nearly impossible to maintain realistically, especially in the film world.
but then I hooked up with a bunch of guys that wanted to make something just as bad as I did. And it never felt like anyone was trying to hitch onto anyone elses star.
It felt good.
No one was lazy, waiting for the other to do all the work. there was no vaccum; just a circle of professionals with one goal. get the damn thing done.
This is why Ii’m not nervous.
I can concentrate on my craft, my words, my art.
I can live with the minor concessions, because the big picture is, this thing is getting done.

Feels good.

I’ll be loading photos and maybe even some video diary stuff next week.
if anyone reads this, keep coming back. the ride is about to begin.

And now, random girls I mention in the movie.

I know what I like…
I like Women.

Shit, son.
It’s a week and one day until I begin filming my first effort, “Lounge Act” Nervous? Not really… I don’t know what you call this feeling. I can’t wait, though.
saturday. I’m planning to get my mind right by watching a few flicks while I work out some story board stuff, and basically just begin to decompress.
* Punch-Drunk Love
* Rushmore
* Goodfellas
* Boogie Nights
* Magnolia
* Made
* The Way of the Gun

Anyone who wants to is more than welcome to join me, but I’m guessing I’ll end up catching a few with Ringo, and most of them alone.

Somewhere, out there, there is a girl who wants in on this movie day/film study/pep rally.

Eh, whatever. I’m about to get my Directing on.
Keep the fire.

Illeana Douglas. For no reason other than I want to kiss her in the dark. Sue me.

Okay, so I watched the Oscars. I’d made a vow years ago, when Sam L. Jackson didn’t win best suppoting for Pulp Fiction, that I’d not waatch them again until I was nominated. I’ve stuck to that vow about 40 percent, meaning I’ve seen parts of the Oscars, here and there for the last 11 years. But I saw most of the oscar ceremony Sunday night, flipping back and forth between the awards show and triumph the Insult Comic Dog on another channel. I wasn’t surprised by anything, there were too many pointless montages, and they didn’t mention Don Knotts, dennis Weaver, or darrin McGavin on the “People who have died” montage.
Latifah’s side breast/arm cleavage has given me enough material to work with for awhile, though. And couple with the spectacular bosom display that is Salma Hayek, plus the mutant juggs sported by one Ms. Dolly Parton, then i’ll be sitting in the fabled Cat-bird seat for some time.
people like me, people who want to play along with the stars in the Hollywood toybox, we are a hypocritical, snarky lot.
We can go from “that Oscar crap is just a bunch of people patting each other on the back” to “Here’s what I’m gonna wear when I’m nominated” in zero to ten syllables.
It used to be rough. I wanted to hate the show based on the fact that it felt like an eletist club of insider wellwishing, but in reality, it was hard to watch because I wanted to be a part of it so bad, and i’d actually be moved by the cheesy montages, and touched when a lowly sound design guy would get choked up over winning an award for sound editing on “Superfuzz” or “Condorman”.
I’d watch the show, get uplifted, then know that in the morning it was back to slinging product in whatever retail outlat I was working at the time. But it wasn’t so bad sunday. soon, i’ll get to make my own small ripple in the film world. will it win an Oscar. No! but, hopefully, the coriolis effect of fame and stardom. i’m gonna wear black Chuck Taylor’s at the ceremony. Don’t give a damn who don’t like it.

“IT’S HARD OUT HERE FOR MY PANTS!”
J’MEL