Feb 23rd, 2005
vicissitude
What is new this week? Mucho Acolytes of Boo, mucho. This week, your faithful narrator has climbed a mighty mountain. We're at over 30% of the production budget for HORRORS OF WAR. Through the relations of John Whitney, we have secured budgeting and reservation of a significant amount of grip equipment and 35mm/super 16 packages. Not an insignificant piece - a 5 ton grip truck and generators, as well as potential further investors and even an ideal location. Let's just say that I'm feeling pretty dazed & wonderful about where things are heading with my first feature film. The New York connections are also coming in, slowly but surely. Two passes, one maybe, and one definate yes on investments. That makes the trip worth taking (and it didn't cost me nuthin' too). I still can't rest. I am preparing the next wave of investors and the energy has to stay high. My whole existence is riding on completing this feature film. I have contingency upon contingency to assure that the film will be completed, but until I'm on set shooting, I don't think I'll sleep well.
BUSINESS FIRST COLUMBUS did an article on the local film scene. I did my best to answer, and I was not available for the group picture as I was in NYC at the time meeting with investors. Tony Goins did a great job diversifying the info and going from OSU student filmmakers to long time local Indies. My best quote in it was referring to the oft-used adage I spew about many filmmakers waiting for the limo to pick them up for their DV movies.
My "2nd Place Short Film Award" arrived for the Central Nebraska Film Festival. It's on the wall, mostly because it had a fancy ribbon. That and it's one of the few awards I've won. I don't make movies to win awards, and it's not my agenda to "win" when I submit. Honestly, I don't care if a festival is competitive or merely a screening. On the flip side, I can also say that winning feels good, but not like some huge victory. Just a kick ass validation that other people like the work, you know?
I did a sound mix and slight re-touch on the abstract version of "Bitter Old Man", referred to as "THE bitter old man". I made it complete with several art film abstract cliches like bad jazz music, nonsensical words on the screen, and even the suicide of Sonnyboo himself, hurling off a bridge. I was reminded of how funny this idea was from Dave Hall, another former 7(M)er - Escapee as we finished off a DVD project for this inventor buddy. This one's for you Dave.
C. Alec Rossel's movie is in the very final stages of sound mix with colour correction on picture as well as music, ambient, and voice tweaks being finalized. Micah will be here tonight to do some more audio tweaks. Alec & I did some spotting on the songs done by Annette. I just finished reading BEHIND THE SEEN about Walter Murch editing & sound mixing COLD MOUNTAIN. Great book, as are all the Walter Murch studies on film editing. I find the micro-cinema scaled version of what he did parallels what I have just done for Alec. I am no where near his league, but the "function" was the same. It's a great book for experiencing a big Hollywood style movie's made from the Editors perspective. Views on Apple, Avid, and Harvey Weinstein make the book insightful from beginning to end.
I just finished a TV spot for "Party Girls Gone Global" and it's apparently Too Hot For TV as I am about to do more revisions because it did not fly for the censors. I'm also finishing a spot for an energy booster. Freelance commercial work has picked up slightly, but it's also allowing me to get a new driver's license, pay the condo fees, and get insurance. I don't mind commercial work. There's a lot of intuitive work to it and creatively in a graphics kinda way. Depending on the client, it can be a mind-numbingly painful experience or a rewarding one.
Big shout out to LINDA BYRKET and her birthday yesterday. We had lunch & I haven't told her yet, but I'm doing her DVD for free. We agreed on something, but my surprise will be a freebie job. She & Bret have done a lot for me lately, and it wouldn't be fair. I've turned a new leaf and everyone pays. I've been doing too much for free. I've provided not only post production facilities, but a lot of my time, energy, and talents for no money. Time to cash in those favors, as in cash that can buy food and pay rent. No more camera loans, no more free edits, no more free DVD's. These are replaced by rental agreements, invoices, and hourly rates.
I'm getting significant sums back from Uncle Sam this year. I kept all my receipts and I also did a lot of work with taxes withheld. I need more $$$ coming in. I've been getting so little paid work that I feel like a hooker at a Chip-n-Dales convention. Things are starting to U-Turn, but there are no guarantees.
Until next time, oh Faithful Readers of the Blog.
XXoo,
Peter John Ross
