Daily Affirmation with...

"It's hard to rely on your good intentions. When my heads full of things that I can't mention." Yes, I enjoy a little Toad the Wet Sprocket here & there, and it coincides with today's thought. Resurrecting this blog has proved more difficult than I expected. A new season of life doesn't necessarily mean a new me. I've found it hard to make time to process my thoughts and write.

In September I competed in a 48-hour film competition, sponsored by the Producers Guild of America. It reinvigorated my passion for filmmaking. And it allowed me to have life-changing discussions with the cinematographer and editor. We each want to make movies yet fell into other things. In our desire to encourage the others to seek after more, we ended up guiding each other to an incredible, scary idea. Starting our own production company!

And that is what we have done. Our first goal has been to develop our mission statement. What are we about? What is our purpose? Why are we doing this? Why can't we get it done? I assumed it would be challenging but it's really quite hard. I come from a long line of opinionated talkers. We don't distill. We jaw. Add on all my soapboxes, throw in two other guys, and you have a task the size and dexterity of Jabba the Hutt. Although it's been a slow process we are making head way. So keep your eyes out for it. Probably on our website.

Besides our vision, our production company is doing what any production company does. Produce. My friend and restauranteur, Tanya Holland, has agreed to let us do a promotional video for her place, The Brown Sugar Kitchen (ala pro bono). A I'll-scratch-your-back-you-scratch-mine deal. She's gets a video for future investors and we build our portfolio, and someone who will spread the word of our work. She and her husband, Phil, OK'd the concept so me and Jerry, the DP, scouted the location today. Made some assessments of the lighting and possible shot locations, popped into DTC Grip & Electric to get some ideas on how to rig the lights, and now my job begins. Logistics. Planning. Scheduling. Researching. Budgeting. We shoot later this month and should have a final product by early December. I'll keep you posted. More importantly, I'll tell you when we get a paid gig.

"Money, it's a gas. Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash."

                       - Money Pink Floyd

Note: if you're in the Bay Area and you're a filmmaker, DTC should be your stop for all lighting gear. Great people. Great prices.

New Look = New Direction

I haven't written anything here in a long time. Almost ten months. Writing was initially put on hold as my wife and I bought our first home. But then California's economy struck my employer. Only a few survived. I was not one.

Coincidentally, a few weeks prior to all this I had been wrestling with God. I wanted an answer and wouldn't let go until I got one! Are my dreams and His plans one and the same? Would I produce full-length feature films and hour-long TV dramas? Or, continue to perform administrative duties at an educational institution, doing the occasional short film here and there? I took a week off from media and listened. And listened. And listened. It was kind of like Naaman in 2 Kings. He had to dip seven times into the Jordan to be healed of his leprosy. He kept dipping and dipping, and nothing. I wonder if he felt like giving up on #5 or 6 because I did. But I couldn't give up that easily. This is my love and passion. At the end of the week I had what I had sought, a direction. A purpose. A promise! "Pursue your dreams and I'll take care of your family".

So no longer am I a Frustrated Filmmaker trying to put food on the table and make films but a Journeyman Filmmaker, taking my past experiences and leaping into the future.