Wednesday December 13th, 2006
BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
Okay my droogies, your faithful narrator has returned in more ways than one. Having wallowed in a dark place known as writer's block, as well as a self imposed prison of boredom. Now I have come back at the turning of the moon and sun reborn and renewed.
Last Saturday we did the first shoot I've done outside of Horrors of War web docs in over a year. This time I shot with my corporate/industrial/commercial sometimes boss Mike Tavares. Mike, as regaled in this here blog before, got a new JVC HD110 HDV camera for his 50th birthday. This opened the door for us to test out the camera.
The sales pitch from me was that I had a project that benefited both of us. He could try out and play with his camera, in HD no less, and learn it's ups and downs, while working on something that will be seen and possibly profitable in the long run. The upside is to learn the camera without worrying about clients and lost revenue, and then having something classy to show to potential new clients wondering what the difference between HD and SD (High Definition and Standard Definition) standards can do for you.
We shot a car chase scene in downtown Columbus with a crane hovering inched off the ground & then passing inches over the hood of a BMW as it races by. My sexy girlfriend Veronica ™ played the sexy spy getting away from the cops. Luckily, by pure happenstance, we got 2 police cars racing past. Then again, it wasn't a shock since we shot on the corner next to the police building.
Sean McHenry came through in a big way and rented us his crane that got us some amazing shots that I originally intended to get by going to the 3rd floor of a parking garage. Instead, I got some moving shots and sweeping looks that made the final cut.
TJ Cooley was gripping and also helped in the Jack Of All Trades capacity. It was needed. After the crane shots, we drove around in Mike's van shooting out of the side door and back windows open so we could vary the shots up. I was not expecting Mike to strap a seatbelt on himself and hang out with the camera 4 inches from the ground as we went 40 Miles Per Hour. He lost his hat on a rather dodgy hill and we had to go back for it.
Of course it was only 14 degrees out too. The coldest day of the year so far (and it was 55 degrees the next morning…). We froze and suffered for the art. Again, my pal Buzz brought the limited edition 12 cylinder BMW race car and it looks great on camera. Since I am a huge fan of the BMWFILMS, this was a bonus I hadn't counted on, plus it raised the roof on production value for this little shoot.
To think, all this for a simple EDUCATIONAL VIDEO… I'm astounded. The first of these videos will go online for free in traditional Sonnyboo style, and sooner than I had anticipated due to reasons to be addressed later in the blog.
From downtown we relocated to Ken Wilson's, a rather popular site for shooting. We used their dining room for a dinner scene where I will demonstrate several basic filmmaking techniques in the series of videos that will probably see their own distribution in 2007.
My own portable VIDEO VILLAGE is always welcome on set these days. I can't live without seeing the basic shots anymore. I am much more concerned with framing than I used to be.
In other news, I returned to a less appealing stature recently too. In my usual abrasive manner, I commented on the Yahoo Group to someone who said they loathed self promotion, but his producer Philbert Ooper insisted he do it. I cannot comprehend this attitude, so I said that no one should be ashamed of self promotion, then I said something stupid – I posted that people who hate self promotion are wishing they had what the self promoters had. This was stupid of me, but hardly the last act for me.
The response from the poster was confusing as he then said that people should feel ashamed of self promotion and yada yada yada. I then did some research and found this guys site (he self promoted a few months ago), plus his blogs, and MySpace pages etc. The strange part is that he even listed Philbert Ooper as an alias on his site.
Now, where I found an all new low was reading his MySpace Blog where he wrote an impassioned rant about local yahoos that call themselves AWARD WINNING FILMMAKERS when all they've won are insignificant awards at meaningless festivals. He said it was deceptive to investors, etc. I took offense to this because I am an award winning filmmaker from smaller festivals, but more importantly, on a core level I cannot see where the deception is. A "debate" ensued (which is a polite way of saying a flame war) and then we agreed to disagree and pretend each other don't exist.
I stand by my way of doing things in terms of promotion. As long as you're honest, there is no misleading or deception. I do not hide what festivals I've won awards from and I don't make up festivals awards or flat out lie. That crosses the ethical 180 degree line and there's no way to make that okay. If you disagree, then do things your own way and stop worrying about how I do it.
Today I got to edit the HD footage from Saturday. Now for my technical geek out of the week, the problem with HDV footage is the editing. What they call "Native Editing" means you edit HDV in it's original, standardized format of MPEG2. MPEG is the MOTON PICTURE EXPERTS GROUP, a consortium of software and hardware experts that agree (to a point) on standards for the industry. HDV is a 1920x1080 or 1280x720 pixel sized video format, much higher quality to the standard definition MiniDV 720x480 format.
CLICK THE IMAGE FOR ACTUAL SIZES
MPEG2 is being used to get that high quality image onto a smaller format tape and edit it in a more realistic (for consumer/prosumer) file size using the compression of MPEG2. Now, there are a few (meaning 2-3) additional CODECS for editing HDV. There is RAYLIGHT from DVFILM.COM and also CINEFORM's ASPECT HD codec. Codec stands for Compressor/Decompressor, it's the software that turns video signals into playable computer files like AVI's and MOV's.
Unfortunately, editing in native MPEG2 for HDV requires a much faster computer than what I have, and quite frankly what most people have at home. These alternate codecs are the answer, and they are more robust and apt for editing. Guess what? You have to pay for that codec too. It ain't free and they ain't cheap. Having tried out both, the ASPECT HD codec is hands down the winner for the JVC camera (No offense to RAYLIGHT, but they seem to be more interested in the Panasonic HVX200 customers who want to edit traditionally in Premiere, Vegas Video, etc.).
I have a 15 day trial for Aspect HD at home, and it expired before a single frame of the footage ever got shot. At least at Tavares, I have 15 days from now, but that is fading fast. I still have intro's and additional clips to shoot. Yikes, 2 weeks is NOT a lot of time, so I had to edit a LOT today. I went through over 1 hour's footage and cut the bulk of my first video in 1 day, but that's normal. I did sound design and mixing at home tonight with an intermediate file (aka Proxy file) of lower resolution just to get it done, but now I'm due back at Tavares to get the other 3 videos edited ASAP.
It's a mad rush to the finish line because I don't want to spend $500 on a CODEC. Maybe it's just the name, (pronounced "KO-DECK") and maybe Santa can't afford to bring it to me this year.
It feels good to get back on the horse and trudge forward. I miss being on sets and shooting, but I really don't want to make anymore shorts. There's little more I can say in the short form. What I'm doing now is something more of a pure educational nature and has multiple purposes. It goes along with the real appeal of the Sonnyboo site, as well as my need to be philanthropic, but this way it's less of a waste of time like a wannabe filmmakers meeting and has a broader reach. Plus with the Canadian distributor interested, the one that was blown off by the powers that be with the HORRORS OF WAR web docs I made in the same vein, I stand to make decent money with these. Vindication always tastes good in the form of a check, even Canadian dollars.
The cats are doing well, if not stand offish with each other. "V" is trying to establish his dominance over Cousette. Many fights, lots of hissing, claws, and even biting go on for hours, day and night. Then, "V" will then get tired and turn into the most lovable little furball that still passes out on my shoulder. At this stage, he slips off when he dozes, but I hold him up as long as I can go without typing.
I'm not so much into the Xmas spirit. It's homogenized and retail oriented. No one gives a gift because they feel selfless. When I feel selfless, I make a DVD for someone or help them out all year round. The cold weather and fat guys ringing bells don't make me feel like doing anything more or less.
At least I have the new Beatles CD- LOVE to keep me warm. It's a brilliant album of remixes using ONLY the Beatles themselves. I dig it mucho.
A-HA! My color correction pass has finished in After Effects, so I must get back to my now 14 day trial period of editing HD!
Have a blessed day, no matter what gods you feel the need to cow-tow to!
-Peter John Ross, aka Captain Exencamper!
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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com
Wednesday November 1st, 2006
BLISSFUL DEATH TO MONKEYS
I’ve kept very busy since the last entry on Ye Olde Blog, my acolytes. I worked some A/V jobs at a hotel and also got an editing job editing some HD material. Thanks to George Caleodis, the next feature script has made leaps and bounds forward. The Boo is on the move again and it feels good.
Last week I went into the hotel to work as I always do. I go to the 2nd floor and go to the A/V office. No one’s there. I go through the back hallways to see if I can find out where my boss is at. I go to the elevator and several people are waiting, they say the elevator is offline for at least the next 40 minutes. Without asking why, I just head downstairs via the front.
I get to the office center and head into the back hallways of the 1st floor. At the very end of the office, there are 3 women in their late 20’s staring out the little glass window of the door at something. I say, “Excuse me” and start to go through the door. One of the women asks me what I thought I was doing. I said I had to get past and they looked at me like I was nuts. As I went through the door, I bumped into a guy and said “Excuse me, sir. I’m sorry.” I look up and it’s none other than former President of the United States Bill Clinton. He said, “No problem.” Secret Service grabs me firmly, but not hostile and move me to the side. As Clinton passed the window, he said, “Hi Ladies!” and they went nuts like the Beatles had been reborn.
An hour later, I ran into Bill Clinton again as I pushed a cart of video equipment from the supply closet to a conference room. He was signing books and talking to hotel employees in the service halls. I made a brief comment and moved on. Another 40 minutes later, as I waited for the elevator with another batch of equipment, I look next to me, and for the 3rd time in the same day, there was Bill Clinton. Secret Service entered the elevator and all I could say is, “I’ll catch the next one…”
I got hired last week to edit in HD on a project, and in another twist, I had to learn the new Final Cut Pro 5.0 HD on a Mac. Now I haven’t touched Final Cut Pro since version 2.0 four years ago. Now that I’m a more experienced editor and even more tech savvy than I was then, it was interesting to use what has taken the professional industry by storm and is being used more & more frequently on broadcast TV shows and feature films.
It’s a great program, and funnily enough, it’s virtually identical to Adobe Premiere Pro as it is today. All these yahoos who claim that Adobe Premiere Pro is not a professional application are just ignorant and have not used it. As I say all the time, none of these programs are better than the other. Anyone who says that one is actually “better” are only speaking of their own PREFERENCE, not a fact of any kind. I’m now experienced with the latest versions of AVID, PREMIERE PRO, FINAL CUT PRO, and even VEGAS VIDEO. None of them are particularly “better” than the other. They all do basically the exact same thing and they each have little features that make zealots out of users, but it always come down to preference and how the individual editor likes to work.
Again, my old reliable metaphor about editors as painters comes to play. The software you use to edit with is nothing more than a brush for your canvas. You would never imagine DaVinci arguing with Picasso about whose brush is better. Neither should people engage in any kind of debate over which editing software is “better”.
Now the HD footage I have seen, shot on the Panasonic Varicam, the high end camera that does variable frame rates, looked amazing. I’ve seen some good stuff, but rarely do I get to see the raw footage and work with it. I love film, but I’m also not a zealot about the “film versus video” debate. I like the look of both and think that story is king. If the format supports the story, then it’s all good. This footage was staggering. If I hadn’t known it was HD, I would NOT be able to tell what format it was.
I had made the decision some time ago to shoot my next feature in HD, but after this experience, I’d say I’m incredibly jazzed about it. Working on this quickie project got me revved up to shoot another feature.
Because of the high volume of work last week, I spent a lot less time at home. This also meant that I was leaving V alone with Cousette more. My workload had been lighter, plus I worked from home his first 2 weeks in his new home, so this was new. V was a little peeved with me and he demonstrated this by all night hand biting and jumping on my head whilst purring. Then the wake up love bites also continued from 7:00AM till I’d eventually have to get up to make him stop by talking to him. Brandy was right, it’s like have a toddler in the house and he’s constantly chewing on my electrical and computer cables.
Cousette wants to love on V, but his only way to express love is grabbing, clawing, and biting. Needless to say, she’s not too thrilled with this. Cousette has taken to finding new hiding spot throughout the house. I try to protect her as best I can (I am afterall the elected Constable of Rossdonia), but he’s so fast and I do have other work to tend to.
Right after the last blog entry, I had a flashback party to attend at my friend Michael’s. The guests of honor were my old Bank One buddies, and it was an impromptu reunion of the cast & crew of THE JOB INTERVIEW.
Of course, I was the sole crew member and these two were the only “cast”. They were friends, not actors. I haven’t seen T.S. and Brown Lara in several years. They have no clue how much they helped me embark on this mad career choice. The simple thing we did together in January 2000 started this whole filmmaking decision. It still is NOT my favorite short on every level, but it’s one of the most popular Sonnyboo shorts of all time. These friends helped me get started, and that includes my host at that party, Michael Essman. He introduced me to MR. SHOW WITH BOB & DAVID, and had just had this energy that inspired me to get it out. For all of this I am grateful and have fond thoughts. Aside from being grossly overweight at the party, I felt like a million dollars.
V is making it difficult to write this, so I have to finish before he electrocutes himself by chewing on the extension cord…. Or Cousette kills him with her enormous paws.
Keep on Living,
Peter John Ross
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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com
Sunday October 22nd, 2006
INAUGURAL DIRECTORATES
Let’s get this out of the way first…. My new cats name is “VLADIMIR JACK BAUER”. We basically just call him “V” and that’s our preference here. I picked “VLADIMIR” because of a line of dialogue from the 1981 movie ARTHUR starring Dudley Moore when he says, “Can we name our first child ‘Vladimir’? Boy or a girl?” I didn’t think anyone would get that in a million years and no one did… thankfully, these books cost me money.
I love the little guy. He’s a handful. V is sleeping on my shoulder as I type this, purring like a little motor boat. V has been a ray of special sunshine in our world here in Rossdonia. Brandy smiles more and loves him too. So far, the only non-fan is Cousette who seems more annoyed than anything. She’s the senior cat in the house and at 10 years old, doesn’t take to his aerial attacks with any form of glee. Cousette misses her brother Spaz, as do we all, but she’s not as sad as she was. We managed to replace sorrow with annoyance and curiosity. The house is less empty, but the energy feels different. I find a great deal of solace in being with V and Cousette now. I appreciate my life a little more.
I’ve started several new trends. I’m working out a bit. So far, I’m getting push ups and sit ups done everyday and I expect to see results sometime in 2007. I’ve become a fat bastard, but that will change. My work ethic has changed. I’ve shed some dead weight in a metaphorical sense and mystically several things in my world cleared up.
The writer’s block dissipated. George Caleodis came in from California and worked with me for one whole day & everything that was wrong seemed righted in a few short hours. We ate lunch at the Lucky House, my favorite Chinese food place, and worked right on through it. Ideas flowed better. George gets it. He’s experienced enough with group working and “gun for hire” jobs to understand that I will shoot down 99 out of a 100 ideas because they don’t “fit”, but when you hit the ones that do, you just know it. There it is. Collaborating doesn’t come easy, but it’s great when it does. George’s comprehension of pop culture and styles of humor make it easy for me to relay what I mean.
I also confirmed that my production plans being pushed to the spring of 2007 are okay. Having seen some examples of late, I’m convinced HD is the way to go for this project. A lot can be done with this medium and celluloid won’t be the only option from here on out. High Definition when used right looks fantastic. I look forward to the challenge.
I’m thinking through the work flow for an HD post production pipeline. I think getting the HD tapes copied to DV with matching time code to do an “offline” edit will be great. It saves on hard drive space and also makes it easier to bounce between editing systems.
In the meantime, I want to test this workflow out by doing another short film, only this time on HD this winter. I won’t direct, but I will write & produce a 2 minute short film for my longtime collaborator John Fromes, who’s been with me since 2001. Not the friendliest guy, but loyal and that means something. It’s time he had his shot as a director and there is one short film I still had on my slate of films I wanted to do before I ‘retired’ from making shorts. This is a short called SNOW MAN that I wanted to do and never got around to it 2 years ago so maybe this year I can make it happen. My ulterior motive is to test all the technicals for post production on the feature later in 2007, but I also have many outlets still for short films I have not used yet. There are plenty of offers for paid shorts only I don’t make those anymore, so this is not a bad thing to produce.
I’m also looking into doing some other mini-projects with varying goals. Much like the indie film tech tips I made for Horrors of War, I’m considering making several more like those, only not related to the film. I have different outlets I intend, and only the first ones will appear on Sonnyboo.com and online for free. I have other plans for the rest…
There is nothing more to do with Horrors of War. I fulfilled all my promises. I delivered the movie and now I have been burnt to a crisp like a french fry in the boiling oil at the end of a shift at McDonalds when the lard starts to smell like sewer. If that’s not graphic enough, I have several other metaphors that are much more gross. I want nothing to do with the movie anymore. I’ve made some realizations in the last few weeks that show me that I have wasted the last year of my life. All the work I did on the WebDocs, the promotions, the screenings, the film festivals… all of it. It’s worthless. None of what I did seems to mean anything and I have countless hours of work and dedication poured down a drain of ineptitude and incompetence.
Based on this realization, I got depressed. I was not in depression, but it is not a happy time. Many things happen for a reason. I’m sure of it. My cat dying, this realization, all lead me to other, happier things. I’m not down; in fact, I’m finding new doors opening before me everyday. Opportunities seem to be making themselves known and finding me, as they always do.
STORYTIME!
I was called a month ago by a producer out of state who asked me if I was interested in directing her feature. I said I didn’t know, please send me a script. We talked about it and, as is usual in these cases, I was told it was the greatest screenplay and already everyone who reads it loves it. (FYI – every single person who ever shows someone a script says it’s the best, so this is hardly an indicator in any way of how it might be). Of course, she says that several studios are interested in the film already (even though it hasn’t been shot). We talk for a half an hour and she said she saw my director’s reel online and thought I’d be perfect to direct her movie. I tell her I’ll read it and let her know what I think of it.
She emails me the script and I skim it. I won’t lie, it’s too early in the relationship for me to put forth the 2 hours to read her script all the way through. I don’t know her. I don’t know anything about the situation, so I take the time to write out several questions in an email to feel this particular scenario out. Here are the questions and subsequent answers:
#1. What is the budget for the film?
$25,000
#2. What format is it being shot on?
HD
#3. How much is the salary for director?
$200 a day
#4. What are the shooting dates & what is the work week like?
End of October and 6 day work weeks, 12 hour days
#5. Who is editing the film and what involvement would I have in post production?
We have a Mac with Final Draft and as much as you want!
#6. What size crew is it?
Still working on this
#7. Who is the first A.D.?
ME!
#8. Is the cast set already?
Most of it.
#9. Is the money already in your bank account or a production bank account, or is it still pending from an investor still? (I need to actual, factual truth on this as I have been decieved in the past and seen whole productions shut down mid-shoot from the best laid plans & broken promises)
Money is in the bank!
Of course it is. These are just words to me until I see some $$$. I don’t mean to be mercenary, but please. If someone wants me to put my name on a feature and be involved creatively in the making of a movie, I need to know if it’s really happening and what all it entails. As I wrote in my book, the single most common mistake made in independent film is miscommunication. I wanted to be as clear as vodka on this from the start.
Since I’ve been right here in this very position many times in the last 6 years, I asked the questions right out of the gate. Based on her answers, it was time to see if they were true. I made an offer. I said I am absolutely on board, but I have one stipulation. I need HALF my salary up front, 3 weeks prior to the first day of shooting. For taking this monetary risk, I’d go out of state and do 1 week of pre production absolutely free, no charge to the production and buy my own food and everything (not lodging though). She said that was completely cool.
From there I got several emails of the script revisions every few days, requests to help find a cameraperson for the shoot, and other knick knacks, but no money. Again, I don’t like to be solely about the money, but until I know there really is money in the budget, I will NOT waste my time prepping and working on a movie that probably won’t happen.
I’m doing my freelance work and commercials, waiting for the 3 week deadline. I made some recommendations for camera. On the deadline, I called her and left a message and also emailed her. I was getting (all true) several offers for paid work during the time she wanted me for pre-production. I needed to make a choice so if we were going to do this project of hers, then I needed to know if a check was coming.
Her response was that her investor usually likes to see more work from someone before he cuts a check and that it wouldn’t be easy at that time for him to write any checks. Basically, she lied. Either she lied before or she was lying now because she initially told me that the money was already in HER bank account.
See? THIS is why I don’t get vested in a project until I know it’s more than the overly ambitious first timers that will ALWAYS speak optimistically when in fact they do NOT have it together. The wise Scott Spears often says he’ll believe it when the check has cleared and he’s on set the first day shooting. Not a bad way of viewing life in the low budget filmmaking world.
Lesson learned & put to good use. I lost nothing but a few minutes of time and avoided getting excited about what amounted to nothing by asking a lot of questions and being skeptical. If I were naïve, I would have wasted time, energy, passion, effort, and possibly spent money on someone else’s pipe dream and delusions of grandeur.
Kids, no matter what – always be honest with people about where things are at. Sure, you want people to take you seriously, but until your money is in the bank, there’s no reason for them to take you seriously, nor SHOULD you burn your own name and reputation by making promises that can’t be kept.
Well, acolytes of Boo, V is having trouble balancing himself on my head. When he sleeps, he tends to fall off my shoulder, then claws are used to catch himself…. Deeply entrenched in my skin. I have a long day tomorrow working for many masters and several projects.
Peace and Love and Good Happiness Stuff,
PJR
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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com
October 7th, 2006
V For the Visage of Villains & Victories
Now after the devastation of my last blog entry, I have some follow up news to go along with it. Many people, friends and even strangers, were affected by our loss of dear Spaz. On Wednesday night, we tried to resume the education of Micah on American Cinema, but I mostly just wanted to have people in the house again and reignite some of the warmth that made our happy home what it is.
I do so deeply appreciate the condolences, shared stories, sympathy, et al. One of the most effecting things was from my friend Cathy. She sent an endearing email to Brandy & I describing how the blog entry made her cry at work and that she even ran out of tissues halfway through. What separated her email from the many nice things was one particular sentence where she said, "I wish I could have re-written your story with a happy ending. " This moved me deeply.
The next day, Cathy emailed me and asked if we were interested in getting another kitty. Brandy & I had been discussing this very topic. We wanted to help out Cousette, Spaz' sister, who really realized that her brother was gone and was very lonely, so I said yes. A woman named Renee that Cathy worked with had one kitten left from a litter. I called her up and she said that this one little black 8 week old kitty was left and no one wanted him. He was the runt of the litter and very sweet. His story was all too much like Spaz', although he is very different. I said we'd take him in.
He joined our family today at 1:00PM. Sadly, Cousette is hardly thrilled about it for now… lots of hissing and lots of angry looks. In the end, she'll get used to her new baby brother and it will help her not be lonely. He's already slept in my lap and Brandy's. He's explored the world known as Rossdonia.
Thank you, Cathy. That's all we can ask for and it has helped us here in making our home happy again.
He looks eerily similar to TROUBLEMAKER from the HORRORS OF WAR shoot in Mechanicsburg, and at 8 weeks old, he's rather rambunctious. That's an understatement, he's a mountain-climber who has scaled the back of every chair in the house in less than 4 hours and goes up or down the stairs with effort, but as a giant ball of energy, manages just fine.
Brandy said I could name him, so I have. I named him "V". At least that's his nickname. He has a full name, but part of what I'll do different today in this blog is see who can guess what his first name is (hint: starts with a "V"). A free copy of THE BEST OF SONNYBOO DVD awaits the first person to guess V's entire first name, and as a bonus I'll give a free copy of my book to whoever can say what movie quote inspired the naming of this kitty (another hint: It was NOT from the movie "V FOR VENDETTA").
I don't believe this is a "happy ending", but a "New Beginning". The revolution has begun again and the cats conspire against one another and I try to remain neutral but with secret alliances with each party of their government, trying to maintain a level of control through subterfuge.
Cousette sees her new enemy…
V sees his quarry…
For a brief time, there is peace in Rossdonia!
Back to business…
Tonight I went to CONTEXT, a science fiction writing convention where HORRORS OF WAR played. It was a small crowd, but worth going for. I believe attending every screening possible and fostering a relationship with the audience is important. Even though anything to do with this movie annoys the hell out of me.
John Whitney & I worked on a new trailer for Horrors of War for the American Film Market. John did picture edit & I did the sound & music editing, just like last year. It was nauseating as I am completely sick of this movie and want desperately to move on. I believe my writer's block on the new script is intrinsically linked to still seeing and working on anything related to Horrors of War.
Last week Micah Jenkins and I attended the River City Film Festival. For a first year festival, they did everything right. There was a nice setup for filmmakers, the projection and sound were very well thought out and executed. Unfortunately, HORRORS OF WAR played last and I'm not sure what people were expecting, but the movie just plain didn't connect with this particular audience. Now anyone who works in the business long enough will know that sooner or later, your movie, no matter how good or bad will finally play for an audience that just doesn't get into it or maybe expectations were different.
This was the least fun screening for me and the Q&A afterwards cemented it. The first question of the night was "Why did you feel it necessary to denigrate the Jewish people by ignoring the Holocaust in your film? " … and the questions got worse from there. Let me start by saying that we are in no way disparaging the Jews or what they went through under the Nazi's, but we're not telling that story. I don't think any science fiction or horror story can possibly compare to the actual atrocities that took place, so why bother? Our story takes place before the Allies really commonly knew about concentration camps. Besides, they never touched on it in Saving Private Ryan either, so go get mad at Spielberg too.
If I needed any level of finality on my HORRORS OF WAR experience, that film festival audience did it for me. Sadly, I'll be in Michigan for the THRILLER! CHILLER! FILM FESTIVAL next weekend for a screening… again. At least this time we'll be playing to our target audience.
The book is doing well. I finally got a physical copy of the 6"x 9" update to the book. Oh yeah, it's definitely better. Since my last update, I had Dan Kiely check out the update and he had a great comment. In the last draft, I ended to book with how I made BACK OFFICE, then NEW WORLD. As Dan so eloquently pointed out, I ended to book with kind of a downer since NEW WORLD is really for me "How Not to Make a Movie". He said I should add the making of HORRORS OF WAR. Well, it's not exactly a short story. In the smaller, pocket sized paperback book, the abridged HORRORS OF WAR story took up 58 new pages. More pages = Higher Cost of the book. I then converted this over to the 6x9 book with bigger pictures, bigger, more legible font, and shaved 20 pages and can keep the price at $10 per book. Seeing it in the larger format, and HELL YEAH! It looks so damn cool. I have my own book I wrote. That's still cool to me. I don't see this losing its luster anytime soon.
I may be working on someone else's feature at the end of this month. I'm in negotiation to direct on this HD feature for someone and we'll see how that goes. More on that when there's more to report.
The script has not been writing itself, hard as I might hope that it would. My plans this week to write were derailed by Spaz' passing. I have not been in the right frame of mind to write comedy. Go figure. I think the damn of writer's block will soon end. V is already on my lap as I write this and I find my heart lifted from despair. Perhaps this new family dynamic will help the divine inspiration find it's mark. That and a visit from George Caleodis next week….
Thanks again acolytes. The Boo has heard your well wishings and is pleased.
-PJR
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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com
October 3rd, 2006
Casualties of War
For those who tune into this blog for filmmaking stuff, go ahead & skip on for the next time. Today I am distraught and it's purely personal.
In our humble abode, dubbed "Rossdonia", I have written on several occasions of Brandy's two cats, Cousette and Spaz, a brother & sister pair of mixed breeds. The reality is that in the past 4 and a half years, they have become just as much my cats too. I mostly work from home & I spend virtually every day with them. Even when I work a 14 hour day, they are not ignored when I get home, or when I sleep.
As I documented in the blogs of the past, when I do spend so much time at home, I would play with the cats on most days. Whether it was mock-trials where we determined who was guilty for the hairballs on the floor and the punishments would range from 15 minutes in the "pillows of persecution" (cushions from the couch & chairs) where a jailbreak was soon to erupt into the cats' favorite part of the day – "CHASE GAME"! I do have a strict policy of hugs & kisses after all games and I do enforce it. In case anyone misunderstood my entire history of the "Feline/Human Wars", it was a joke and it was what I do to entertain myself during the day with my two willing playmates – Cousette and Spaz.
I had very begrudgingly grown to love the cats. I am a dog person and have been my entire life. I never liked cats. When Brandy & I first started seeing each other, I was not inclined to take her cats in when we moved in together. First and foremost, I was allergic. We took the cats in at the old house on Indianola aka Rossdom, and they stayed in the basement. The first night I pet them and played with them, my eyes puffed up to the point where I couldn't see even when my eyes were "open". Their staying with us was supposed to be temporary, and they were meant to be confined to the basement during their stay. That lasted about a week before they were everywhere in the house & claiming a place in everyone's heart.
Spaz was anti-social. He's the black boy cat and let's face it, kinda ugly and not everyone's favorite. Combine that with the fact that he was not the sharpest tool in the shed, and Spaz was outcast. Cousette on the other hand is a very pretty, and very outgoing cat that loves company & loves to be pet. When people see them, they always comment on "She's such a pretty kitty", and no one says a word about Spaz. It took some time, but I got in there with Spaz. After a few months of seeing this unfairness, I made it my own personal mission in life to make Spaz feel special. In the same way that I see some people are not almost invisible in the crowd, I'll make a stupid nickname, or put a "the" in front of their name so that other people will notice them, I started to make Spaz feel special. Before we moved from the house on Indianola, I just randomly started calling Spaz "BATMAN" and got excited whenever he came in the room. I don't think anyone ever got excited when he came in the room, so it took a few weeks for him to warm up to it, and he even started thinking his name was BATMAN.
That nickname passed, and variations of his name Spaz took the form of "Spazociter", "Mr. Spaz Anderson" (a play on the "Mr. Anderson from the matrix movies, said in the Agent Smith voice for effect), "Spaz-dork", and so on. Regardless, it was always some kind of greeting every single day, sometimes more than once a day.
I have a semi-normal routine every day. I get up and go down to my computer & check my email. En route, Spaz is either on the couch behind me, in bed with me, or soon to be at my legs and wanting his greeting I had trained him to want. I never denied it to him. Even after I go to lunch or go to a job during the day, even if I was only gone for an hour, Spaz would get excited to see me return home. He would wake up from his fat lump spot and want to have his attention.
The last two years, here at this place, where Brandy and I have labored to make a home, Spaz found a peace and happiness he never had before. He was never miserable, but Spaz was obviously at his most jovial. He was not running away from house guests, and he even would go up to strangers that came in because his self confidence had grown. Spaz had in the past chewed or scratched hair off parts of his body from itches. He always had patches of hair missing, but since we moved here, his fur was thick and clean. Spaz was happy.
Last week, I noticed Spaz had started to have labored breathing. It was subtle and you could only hear it if you put your head up against him. Every day it got a little worse, but sometimes a little better. We held off on taking him to the vet because we hoped it was small & would get better over time, but Brandy & I are not financially well off, so a vet visit is too expensive.
Sunday morning, I had to go do work at Tavares Teleproductions and had to leave the house at some point. I did my morning routine and I noticed Spaz had no left my bed. He was too tired. After I took a shower, he got to the top of the steps and I sat down & played with him. He was particularly playful, rolled on his back. Spaz's ultimate sign of affection was to play-bite and he bit me several times and loved being toyed with.
I got home a little bit after 11:00PM Sunday night and Spaz came downstairs to see me, but his breath was much labored. I pet him on his head and then held him like a baby, and rubbed his belly to calm him down. Brandy came home a few minutes later and we immediately decided to take him to the emergency vet. I checked online and found the nearest 24 hour place. I drove and Brandy was to hold Spaz. Spaz is a house cat and does NOT go outside. When we've taken him with us to get the mail on the front porch, we squirms and panics, so we knew a car ride was going to be brutal. It was.
Spaz panicked and his breathing got even more erratic. We drove as fast as we could only to find the facility closed. This was traumatic enough without these asshole mis-advertising. We were in the car with no alternate place to go so I tried calling friends, but my cell phone minutes ran out. We pull into the E.R. of St. Annes human hospital. I hold Spaz while Brandy runs into the E.R. to find another place. I held Spaz close to me, held him like a baby and just talked to him. His breathing eased some, but he was still not good, and worse than at home. Brandy got directions and we were off again as I handed him back to her.
We find the other place nearly 20 minutes later and get Spaz into emergency care. We sit in the waiting room awaiting any kind of news for over an hour, hoping for the best. A Vet asks us all kinds of questions about Spaz and tell us that he's still very panicked and scared, so until the sedative kicks in they can't get X-rays to find out what the problem is. More waiting. Knowing Spaz, I assume it will be a long while. We left unprepared, so I volunteer to go home & grab some things for our vigil. I also wanted to see Cousette because she & Spaz have never been separated before.
I cried in the car, but we were pretty close to home. I start to grab things when Brandy calls. She said she got an update. Spaz is in an oxygen tank and they gave him some steroids to open up his lungs and he was stable. They wanted to keep him overnight, but we could see him. When I got back there, Brandy had a partial bill that exceeded $1,000 already and the estimate to keep Spaz the next day was over $2,000 more. Our only other option was to transport him to another vet when they opened at 8:00AM because by 8:30AM, when there was a shift change, we'd have to pay the new balance.
They gave us a list of other vets in the area and phone numbers. We could go back & see Spaz. We went to see him and there he was in this cold, sterile room in a little clear box getting oxygen pumped in. My heart sunk seeing him in there. He was alert and awake, and immediately recognized us. Brandy reached in the hand hole and pet his head & I his back. Brandy asked if I wanted to pet his head & so I did. I put my face down into the hole and talked to Spaz and he got up with all his strength and reached his little face out and kissed me. He tried to get out of this little hole and come to us, but they started to close the hand holes. I couldn't hold back my tears at all. I broke down.
We left together utterly shaken. We came home and tried with futility to sleep. With maybe an hour to an hour and a half of sleep, we went back to the emergency vet's at 7:45AM to start prepping for the transporting of Spaz to another facility. The vet told us that he had a good chance and that Spaz might come through. They sedated him so that the drive wouldn't be so bad. Brandy and I switched so that she would drive and I would hold Spaz. When they brought him to me, he was so out of it and still breathing very hard. I wrapped him in a blanket and we hauled ass to the first vet open we had called. It was the longest drive of my life as I talked to Spaz and held him close. He put his little paws on my face, reaching out to me as I talked softly to him the entire drive. I held him like a baby as I often did at the front window, rubbing his tummy and talking to him about anything, the first time I met him, about games we played, anything to keep him calm and it seemed to work, except he was getting more and more labored.
We got there to a place on Morse Rd. that wasn't very advanced or anything. They spent 5 minutes with him and said, they were not equipped to handle this. He needed an oxygen tank and special care they weren't capable of. They gave us directions to another facility and we were off. We get to this other place about a mile and half away, and they take him right back. Within 15 minutes, their vet had looked over Spaz and reviewed all the info from the emergency vet and told us that they would continue the therapy started at the E.R. and see what could be done. In a few hours she'd call and let us know how he's responding.
After seeing how Spaz looked, I think we both knew in our hearts that Spaz was going. He was trying so hard to breathe. Our brave little boy was too far gone. The vet called us and said he was more alert, and had gotten better, but was not really improved on breathing. We got in the car & went to see him.
Poor little Spaz was breathing so heavy and it looked exhausting and we knew we had to let him go. We had come to say goodbye to our little boy Spaz. We told the doctor it was time and they took us into a private room. I carried him in, holding him and telling him that I loved him. I didn't think I could even be there in the room when he passed. I gave him to Brandy to hold and say her goodbyes too. I was going to leave the room, when I turned my back on Spaz, he cried out & reached his little paws out to me. I couldn't leave him then. I pet him on the head and Brandy held on to him when the doctor made the injection. We felt his little body go limp and the doctor took him. Curled in a ball, exactly as he spent most of his days on the couch or on my lap, or on Brandy's, that's how he looked when he left us.
We couldn't go home just yet, so Brandy and I went to the park where we go often. We tried to remember everything good and pure that we ever knew about Spaz. What occurred to me then was something I never realized. I have spent my whole life trying to create a surrogate family, or join one. My own relations with my family are estranged at best. Brandy to her own family is not that different. What we had created together was a family. We live together, we treat her cats as our kids and everything really was familial for us. I had not thought of it in those terms until Spaz passed. We're family and we lost one of our own.
We came home after the walk. The house seems so much emptier. It didn't help that they were working on the roof, so the electric was supposed to be off for a few hours. I tried to sleep in my bed, but the thought that Spaz was not jumping on the bed drove sleep from my mind. Later I tried sleeping on the couch, but then the realization that never once did I nap on this couch without Spaz with me kept sleep from starting.
Brandy had to work at 6:00PM, so she left, brave as she could be, and I was left alone with Cousette. Cousette hasn't figured it out yet, but she's looking at all of Spaz' spots. She started crying and howling, so I just pet her and talked to her. She doesn't understand. They've never been apart, so it's slowly dawning on her that she's alone and he's not coming back.
I have the notice from the Condo association clearly stating that the power would be off from 10:00AM till "no later than 2:00PM". It was 10:45:PM when the lights came on. I spent several hours in the dark, alone with my misery. I wanted to try to distract myself, anything to keep my mind from losing my friend, my boy, Spaz. I can't ask Brandy not to work, plus we would have both been stuck in the dark. It compounded my sorrow and I miss him so much. When Brandy got home, she left work early and came home because she was so distraught. Spaz and Cousette had been with her since their birth and he was 10 years old. Brandy couldn't sleep. It's still very deep.
In the end, I made several realizations. When I set out to make Spaz feel special, it was for no real reason. I had told the little bugger several times that I loved him over the years, especially the last year or two. What I didn't know was how much he loved me back. He was a part of my daily life for 4 and half years. I didn't take him for granted, but that doesn't really ease my pain. Brandy's still very shook up.
I've faced death of people that were close to me. In the years since, I have built up buffers and emotional barriers to prevent me from feeling like this. I don't know how, but Spaz cracked my armor. I've let Brandy and the cats form a family of our own and together we have made a happy home. Here, it was a four way street. Our mutual love of each other made the spirit of our home a happy one. Without our buddy Spaz, it's a little less happy.
Today I started my routine, but there is a hollowness that I have not known in many years. He's not on the couch or in my bed. Brandy left for work and Cousette and I are alone. Today is the first day without Spaz. It seemed like such a small thing, but what it really is to me is a little hole in my heart where Spaz used to be.
Many thanks to those who called and emailed us with your condolences. It has meant a lot to us and we're glad you've shown your care. To those who knew Spaz, I'm sure you meant a lot to him too. The last years of his life were very happy, and that's the best gift you can give to anyone or anything.
- Peter John Ross
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
