Sept. 17th, 2006
Pancakes & Parables
Last night I worked at a Hotel. I was filling in helping out my buddy so he could have a night off. I was the A/V tech on duty so that I could just baby sit a DVD player during a wedding. Excitement Central, that’s where I was last night, at least I was able to get some thoughts down.
During a break, I had my handy dandy laptop. I was tweaking the book I’m writing, Tales from the Front Line of Indie Filmmaking. I started a little organization of my files, and I found 3 articles I forgot about, namely the Making of The Manhattan Project that I was asked to write for a website I can’t recall, and the Making of New World parts 1 and 2 that I wrote for The DogPile filmmaking site. This added 20 pages to the book. When I got home, I added a few pics to jazz these stories up. I didn’t know if I should put these at the head of the book or the tail. I chose the tail so that people can read the articles & other Tales, and then see how I really started.
I tweaked the book until 3:00AM and played with it. I found this new site, LuLu.com, that self publishes the book for $5 cheaper per book than Cafepress.com does. I’m getting a few copies made so that I can send them off to publishers already in book form. In the meantime, I’ll sell a few copies here and there on the site. I get a discount if I buy 36 or more, so I’ll order 30 for my own needs and sales.
Still not much happens with the next feature script. I can’t focus on it. I’m at least starting to figure out what’s wrong. I'm obviously pushing my shoot for a bit. I have some funding to help book a name actor or two. At some point in October, I'd like to get all my principals in a room & figure out when & how we're going to make the movie.
The script is coming along, but much slower than I'd like. I've made some progress, but obviously not as much as I'd hoped. I get some occasional inspirations and I write them down, but still no massive script writing sessions. Now I'm in money making mode (like the gig last night). I'm dedicated, but I want my next project to excel and be better than anything I've done, but I think the added self imposed pressure is killing me creatively.
Things are still moving with Horrors of War, but at least it’s not me doing the work. The film has its own momentum now. I keep either finding film festivals or some of them contact me to let us know that it was accepted. We’re up to 11 film fests and rising slowly. I can officially say that we’re with Maverick Entertainment for the DVD release, but it won’t be on DVD in the U.S. until sometime in 2007. Phil did find a DVD cover from one of the sites that scanned the Netherlands DVD art. I made a Poster Gallery on the site, also Phil’s idea.
We’ve got an invite to the Thriller!Chiller! Film Festival in Michigan and that one sounds like a LOT of fun. John Whitney and I are definitely going. I don’t want to see the movie again, but I don’t mind talking about it afterwards.
Showing the Directors’ Cut of Horrors of War is an interesting sales tool. There are some out there that question the logic of screening a version of the film that will NOT be on DVD. This is not a bad thing, it’s a good thing. That means people who see it on the festival tour will have a reason to rent or watch the movie again because it’s different. If they didn’t like the movie, they have a reason to give it another chance. It makes the screenings “special” and the DVD release something to still look forward to for any fans out there too. It’s not rocket science, kids.
I have agreed to speak at the next IndieClub Columbus meeting September 24th, 2006 1pm to 4pm at Dublin branch of the Columbus Metro Library 75 N. High Street Dublin, OH 43017. I really don’t like to attend these local meetings, for IndieClub or Columbus Movie Club. There’s not much there for me. It’s for people like I used to be, where I used to be. I don’t find I’d get much out of the meetings myself. After all I had been through with the Columbus Film Consortium, I find that the social aspects and the behavior of local filmmakers (and filmmaker wannabes), to be anti-productive for making movies. It brings out the worst in me too. I’m not that unaware of my own bad habits and terrible inhibitions when it comes to local moviemaking clashes. The metaphor I’m using is this: An alcoholic does not go to bars once or twice a month with his old drinking buddies.
I was asked to speak about “Reel” and how to make them, why you make them, and show a few. It was no small motivation that since Brandy is working so much with two full time jobs that I’m showing her Reel because she can’t be there. I miss my Brandy-Weasel and I miss Spoooooooooooons. The least I can do is try to help get her some acting work when things slow down for her. I’ve also got 2 of Greg Sabo’s Director of Photography Reels I edited to show.
I’ve also got my two updated Reels to show. The Commercial Reel hadn’t been touched in almost 3 years. I never made a “Director’s Reel”, but I needed to because I’m getting ready to solicit a real agent. We’re zooming in on the time for me to try my hand at the bigger league. After putting an initial cut of my Director’s Reel online, I got some feedback from several places and I shortened it, whilst adding almost double the material. Dan Kiely even kicked in with the suggestion to shorten a clip he was in. I did. The less Dan Kiely on my Reel, the better I’ll do, that much is certain.
I’ve been tossing around the idea of offering the service of editing Reels for actors for over a year, but I have this fear of a poor reaction from people or several amateur wannabes offering the same service for free or cheaper, even though they won’t have the same level of professionalism. I think I’ll start anyway. I’m not trying to win a popularity contest. I need to make money these days and I’m worth every penny. I’ve been underselling myself for far too long.
The cats are in upheaval. With Brandy’s less frequent time spent here at Rossdonia, they are becoming rebellious. They have taken to coughing up the hairballs everywhere and more often. I believe Coussette is behind these new terrorist attacks. We will strike down the evil doers and smoke them out of their caves.
I’ve got a few paid edit sessions this coming week, doing an interview for someone’s documentary, a new editing class session, and 2 more video production jobs this coming week. This is a good thing. I’m going to make some money and alleviate some of my tribulations so that I can focus on the writing of a feature length screenplay that I will shoot sometime in 2007…
Peace Out Sonnyboo-Homees,
Peter John Ross
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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com
Sept. 5th, 2006
Days of Futures Past
Im in a state of flux right now. Not everything feels like it should and I have a general discomfort and Im not 100 ure where it emanates from. Definitely writers block contributing to this, but thats not all. The world and specifically my world is off-kilter in the now.
I got a car again. Its a Chevy Blazer. As most people who know will guess, its not exactly a perfect fit with me. I dont look right in a Blazer, but who cares? Im mobile again. Its weird to be able to go where ever I want whenever I want. Its been a while. I waited until the right circumstance hit and Im glad I did.
Some money has filtered back into my life from commercial work, so that has helped a lot. Ive started teaching my editing class and this past weekend on Sunday I even tried something new a one day editing seminar in Cleveland. What was risky for me was to drive the new automobile all the way to Cleveland. I had paranoia because the last 3 trips prior to Cleveland have all resulted in a car that had problems.
I think Im better at teaching my class now than ever before. I have more experience (thanks Captain Obvious!), but I have also gotten more streamlined on the information and how I put it out there. I used a lot more video in my presentation than ever before and I put the Laptop through its paces since this wasnt taught at a studio, but rather at TALKIES, a coffee bar in downtown Cleveland. In actuality, this worked out great. I used the Laptop as a DVD player, and also as an editor to demonstrate editing a scene from a movie from the raw footage. I have another paranoia (I am neurotic after all) after doing any kind of public speaking where I think I did terrible. I become needy & want feedback if I sucked or not. Luckily, several of the students emailed me and said they enjoyed it, including 4 gentlemen who drove up from Kentucky for this.
I crashed at Johnny Wus so I could sneak a peak at some footage from his feature THE RAPTURE. He wasnt feeling well, at least not until he started showing the clips and he got animated and excited. Johnny said he could barely stay awake, but then after showing footage we chatted for a few hours.
Yesterday, I made a side stop in Wadsworth Ohio where I grew up. This is the one place I consider my hometown. I was there from age 5-12 and most of my fondest memories reside in this place and that time. This was before our family moved to El Paso Texas where I feel that I was raped of my childhood by circumstance and my own ignorance. I get a great deal of solace from visiting Wadsworth, even today. Nearby our old house was The Woods and this is now an official city park. Half of the park now has formal cement paths and a parking lot, plus a small pond where I nearly drowned 20 years ago is now a sanctioned, real pond with benches and everything. I detest the revised part of the park, but the majority of it remains unfettered by time and conservatism.
The last time I was here, a few months ago, I went through the modern & sanitized part of the park, hating every moment of it until I found the paths still lead to a more wild, un-cemented and less traveled part. This time I started at the opposite end of the park, nearer to where my old home used to be. I found my way to the northern most part and wandered about. I have grown so much older. Its been 22 years since I lived here and yet I found that I left a part of my soul in this place, in these trees and hills. I found that there are parallels to that time of my life and this time of my life. I am happier now than I have ever been since that era. Im struggling to maintain this happiness and trudge forward into the future too. This little journey into my past has given me a great deal of hope and I look forward now, eyes open, first foot out.
I want more spoons. Brandy wont give them to me. Shes working two jobs and well over 50 hours a week. Spooning is not sexual; its more a form of torture in a sense. I am not a touchy feely person, but because Brandy hates spooning, it makes me want to do it all the time. Brandy is small. See this Brandy? YOURE SMALL. Youre a tiny little thing and I want to spoon soon, so get home damn it.
I have become a good friend to SPAZ ANDERSON, the black cat. He and I have formed an unholy alliance against COUSETTE, the pretty 6 toed cat in the house. We have a boys room and shes not allowed in. We have special hand shakes and secret codes just to make her feel left out. She can go play with Brandy and they can make a girls room while we continue our manly excursions. Take that ladies!
The commercial demo reel as been updated with more recent projects (since Ive made about 12 new commercials since the last edit), plus I made a first cut of a Directors Reel, for my more artistic endeavors. I intend to use this to get more directing work and an agent at some point, although Im not sure when at this point. I put these reels on both YouTube and MySpace for all to see in higher res than even my own site.
SEVEN SAMURAI CRITERION 3 DVD set came out today. For anyone looking for cinema history, Akira Kurasawas master piece film demonstrates everything you need to know in film. I bought the single disc Criterion DVD a few years ago based solely on Steven Spielberg saying he watches his 35mm film print of this movie the day before every shoot hes ever done. George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, & John Milius all swear by Kurasawa and specifically Seven Samurai. I might have to pick up the new 3 DVD version soon. Its too enticing.
I also broke down last week and bought the triple-dip LORD OF THE RINGS DVDs that got re-released. I already have 2 sets of each, but this 3rd set has all new feature length documentaries on each of the movies that are unseen. Overall, they arent that great, but I bought them for so cheap, it was worth it to me and wont be too many consumers. I dont recommend them unless you are fanatical (like me).
In the month since my last blog entry, I have tried many things to spot writers block. One of the things I did was re-visit an idea that was brought to me by a publisher. Having read my articles online and some of this very blog, I was approached by a publishing company to potentially write a book. They wanted my sardonic approach to writing and the perspective of going from DV shorts to feature filmmaking. Of course the caveat was to see how well Horrors of War does, so at least they were honest. Since Horrors of War is due out in the near future, it was time to look into a compilation of the articles and flesh out a bigger piece.
In doing so, I started to reminisce about more sad stories that had happened to me as well as more articles. I made a test pressing of the first draft because I am a tactile person. Touching & feeling the book did make me write a lot more. I did several updates, drafts, and several new stories and articles emerged. One far more important aspect added was asking Dan Kiely to do illustrations for the book for the caricatures. These added so much vibrancy & light to the book. The book is coming along fantastically, if I do say so myself. There is some genuine insight into the real process of making DV movies and how to prepare for making bigger, more accessible films. Its really a book with 2 parts. The first are the straight to the point articles which are advice driven, although occasionally sarcastic, but in bite sized nuggets of information. The other half are personal stories, many of which are partially found on this blog, and the rest have not yet been told in a public forum.
I actually have managed to get pages of the script written. Ive started over with a page one re-write, meaning I have jettisoned almost everything written by the other writers, at least the exact words written. I will maintain much of what they did in spirit, but the dialogue is almost entirely new. I just let the characters start talking, but I keep writing myself into a corner. What sucks about this particular bout with writers block is that its not normal & unlike any other Ive come up against. I already HAVE the entire outline of the story done. There are plots, sub-plots, even nuggets of dialogue written in the outline, but I just cant get the groove to start. I cant go for more than a few pages at a time. It just isnt there. I cant explain it.
Johnny Wu has hit on a theory that I tend to agree with. He said I have too many loose ends. My spirit is not at peace and I cant focus until I clear my head. This ties into the intro to this little journal entry. I am un focused and it is because there are still loose ends on Horrors of War, Brandy and I have had a tiff or two recently, both of their own accord & also because of my own frustrations carrying into the relationship, plus I have not been getting as much freelance work & the money isnt coming in like it used to.
Ive already made the conscious decision to push any kind of shoot for this dark comedy until the spring. I will not commit to shooting a feature until I am 100appy with the script. I wont make the same mistake Ive made with some of my short films & make the movie before the foundation has been made rock solid. After the trip to Wadsworth yesterday, making out with Brandy last night, and making some money, I may be able to crack the writing nut a bit more this week.
Until next time, my precious Acolytes. Until Next Time.
Peter John Ross
P.S. No politics this time, but to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of Katrina
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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com
