Xanadu

I admit, I have watched the Olivia Newton-John movie (In high school I read the Coleridge poem referenced by the title but I didn't get it. Maybe I'll revisit it). A classic in its own right. You can't beat song and dance numbers that include roller skating and music by ELO, unless you just don't like musicals. Today I'm struck by the premise - an artist stuck creatively. Been there, done that. There were days I would go to write, buy a cup of coffee, sit down and realize I had nothing. So I sat. And sat. Then usually left earlier than I planned with feelings of disappointment. If I wanted to be a screenwriter shouldn't I be writing everyday? How do other writers deal with creative voids? I was stuck.

Then I received a book from my mom, "Making a Good Writer Great" by Linda Seger. I picked up a lot of ideas as I read through it. Well, one of them came in handy last week. I sat down at my local Peet's at my usual time of 6:30a and began to wonder what I'd write. So I utilized a writing exercise Seger suggested. Pick three random nouns (you know, a person, place or thing) and create a story that incorporates them. So I looked around and found one of each. I said my little prayer, "Come on, Lord, give me something! Anything. I'll take a "Lost" rip-off."

And it came! And to my surprise I liked the story. In fact, I really liked it. So I'm working on it now as the next short I do. Maybe later this year. We'll see how funding and logistics play out.

Have no fear, loyal supporters, the development of this short will not interfere with the completion of the others. My office is almost work ready. Editing, here I come!

Great is Thy Faithfulness and New Every Morning

It's been a while since I posted here. With the holidays and family coming in from Illinois I didn't have any time to sit and write. But life is back to Normal, or at least my sister is (I'm originally from Normal, IL).

As I sit down to write Aerosmith's "Amazing" is playing. And the chorus is very fitting to what I have been thinking about:

It's Amazing
With the blink of an eye you finally see the light
It's Amazing
When the moment arrives that you know you'll be alright

Yeah, yeah, I know some may consider the "Get A Grip" album to be a sell-out but I have a fond place in my heart for it. It came out while I was in high school. Plus it's relevant to my current thought, hope. You see during my winter break (my job gave me a week+ off) my family and I cleaned out the house and the garage. And I mean cleaned. We pitched and donated, sorted and organized, Swiffer-ed and polished. It was very energizing. I think and work better in clean, clutter-free environments. So my office, aka the garage, has once more been reclaimed. I raised my own Iwo Jima flag.

So 2011 and filmmaking are already starting off on the right foot. A little tidying up here and there and I'm ready to work. My game plan is to complete a small project I started a few months back with a musician friend of mine, Elaine, then move onto a larger project I started in 2009, "Wanted". The challenge will be to stay focused on them until they're done. This is my inspiration:

Yo Joe!

Writing...again.

As a birthday present this year my wife bought me a new writing pen and a gift card to Peet's, where I write. Her support is a little overwhelming. She's pushing me to succeed. What! (I'm stealing this phrase from the show "Psych").

Today I'm working out the concepts for a web series. The big challenge: how to draw an audience and hold their attention. I'll be back here tomorrow banging it out. For now I must meet my brother for breakfast.

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Amendment

My wife finally read the post about moving and she thought I didn't properly convey the situation so I will do so now.

I have always wanted to live in the Bay Area. It's about time for the film industry to be revitalized here and I want to be here and a part of it when it does. The prospect of leaving here to move to LA does not seem appealing but if it got me closer to my dream then I would bite the bullet.

My wife's desire to stay in the Bay Area is so awesome. We are now aggressively searching for a home to buy...with a place I can use as my office. 2011 could be a turning point year.

We'll see.

What's the Story, Morning Glory?

The wife and I had a rarity this past weekend, a date. With three kids, one of which is a newborn, adult time usually amounts to washing dishes, making lunches, brushing our teeth and crawling into bed. So this date was well deserved, and enjoyed. We did the "dinner-and-a-movie" bit. We ended up watching "Morning Glory" with Rachel McAdams, Patrick Wilson, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. It's a romantic-comedy with some funny moments. What it lacked was real relationships.

Initially I thought the romantic relationship between Becky (McAdams) and Adam (Wilson) was going to be endearing and realistic. Instead, moments after proclaiming they would take things slow, they hop into bed.

Here are two characters who clearly want to be known. Becky is afraid a man will leave her when he realizes how focused she is on her work, even a little neurotic. Adam is pigeon holed by his looks and upbringing. They're hoping someone will look beyond the exterior and see them for who they are inside. So the screenwriter and the director respond with having them sleep together. Don't get me wrong, I understand their reasons. Sex is good and for those moments you feel close to someone. It doesn't create a foundation for any lasting relationship.

I'd like to see couples deal with differences, learn to have healthy disagreements or, and more importantly, how to forgive and be forgiven. These are the elements of a relationship I want to see. A good example is "The American President" with Michael Douglas and Annette Benning. Yes, they do sleep together but I think the screenwriter and director did a great job showing their relationship grow.

I know it's hard to write such stories, to conceive of good characters and well developed arcs. It takes time, and time means lost wages. But aren't we risking a lot in the name of profits?

Untilted #37

Why do artists have pieces of work that are untitled? An untitled symphony or painting or a poem. I don't understand. Does it elevate the artsy-fartsy element to the piece? Years later someone comments about the piece with, "This is from his Untitled period. He was resisting labels."

I resist labels and embrace them, depending on how good it sounds at the time. I accept the labels of child of God, husband and father. My job title I accept because it's temporary. The label of filmmaker I wrestle with. Sometimes I believe it and other times I don't. I'm a little like the guy in Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold". Up then down, wrong then right. And I was definitely wrong about my wife. Amidst my inactivity and uncertainty I forgot how much she supports me. I forgot how much she loves me and wants this for me. I forgot to believe in her and the marriage we have built.

Two weeks ago we were discussing where we would like to buy a house, Bay Area or LA. For years she has wanted to move down south in order to be closer to her family. I said no because it's LA. Well, after many visits, it's grown on me. And it is the home of the film industry. I was ready to make the move. I could enroll in a screenwriting course, tap into some contacts, and jump start my career. "The future looks bright. I gotta wear shades."

Buying a home here means we have to stay at least five years, a prerequisite of the down payment assistance. And while our friends and great food are here, the industry and her family are not. Surprise surprise, she wants to stay here. And, she wants to make a concerted effort to move me closer to my dreams.

It's game time!

Do You Have A Tissue For My Daddy Issue?

The breaking into the film and television industry is just plain hard. You must work hard, put in long hours, and be creative, passionate, and relational. Good looks help, too. And still you might not make it.

Those chasing the dream have a day job to pay for the roof over their head and the cheese sandwich on their plate. Everything they do is for one goal: a career in Hollywood. And they're willing to sacrifice it all for that end. I, on the other hand, am a husband and father. I cannot leave those I love and the responsibilities that come with them to completely pursue my own dreams. Well, I could but then I'd be like my dad...

You see, my dad put his family second to his pursuits (think "Cats in the Cradle"). He would decide the direction the family would take and everyone was expected to follow. Many a summer I would fly out to see him, we'd spend that day together and the next he'd be on a plane for some meeting. And I get that it's exciting for him to pursue a new, cutting-edge business venture with hopes of a big return. He's worked hard to establish for himself a strong reputation as a businessman.

But as a father his reputation is one of failed promises, missed birthdays and no relationship with his kids. Am I willing to sacrifice these things to obtain a position as show runner for my own TV show? No.

So how do I get closer to the dream without sacrificing my family?

No answers. Only questions.