Saturday is almost here

So tonight we shot 2 scenes from my short.

They went really well.

I got to do a Pretty Woman "big mistake" type monologue.

I really had a great time.

What i learned is that i need to be SUPER prepared for Saturday.

That way I can just focus on being an actor and make sure that my crew knows what I need so they can do their jobs with ease and grace.

So I am taking tomorrow off. 

I gave up a shift today - I am just needing whatever time I can get to put this all together!

I just sent out the big email.

Call times - wardrobe, etc.

I shared tonight that this is really a dream come true for me.

To create something and shoot it - 

I used to shoot sketches all the time - but this is a short!  Not a sketch!

And I am really doing it.

With a team of highly creative people!

What a joy.

Duffy helped me punch up the script.

That's what they call it in the fancy screenwriting world.

And I am so proud of it.

It really is incredible.

And I can see how it can become it's own little series.

So - send a shout out to LOGO.

This is perfect for them!

I also realized I curse a lot.

I watched some of the footage.

Sorry Dad!

I will do what I can to contain that!

I am supposed to be in bed, but I can't sleep.

I am making my list of all the things I need to do tomorrow.

INSANE!

I haven't been drinking for the last month.

It has been so nice.

Not that I ever drank in excess, but I would enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. 

What a difference that has made in my life.

But I think on Sunday - I am going to have a cocktail!

On Monday the final version of Tumble Dry, Daniel's short is due.

We are missing a few insert shots, but all in all I think it is in a good spot.

I am excited to share that one with everyone.

Last night, Alli Josephine and I hung out for a little bit and talked about some other ideas for shorts. Hopefully they will both be inspired to work with me on them when this is done. They are "Serious" which is a huge change for me.  It is so exciting to have my brain working this way.

I feel more alive now than I have in SO LONG.

I got trapped in the LA world of survival, and I am now starting to breathe again.  

My mind is flooded with new ideas - scripts - shots -

I am becoming obsessed with shots.

It looks like I will be the DP for Alli's shoot, so I am stoked about that!  She has some cool shots in mind, and I know I can deliver.

Thank God for Josephine for creating this program.

My life is changing so dramatically.

We've been at it for 17 days.

Less that 3 weeks.

And I am a different person than I was 3 weeks ago.

Director This week

So last night I picked director.

I knew that was going to happen.

Oy!  The power of thought!

The good news is that I brought a first cut of Daniels film to him last night, and he was very happy.  We worked on it together and came up with some really cool things.  His happiness was such a gift to me.  It makes all the hard work worth while.

So - I have spent much of the day writing my script.

When Duffy came in to talk to us about the writing process, she encouraged us to allow ourselves to have a really bad first draft.  And I have truly succeeded at that!  But - you gotta start somewhere.   So - I am about to tackle it again. I thought I'd just take a second to blog. Let you know what's happening...

We had an earthquake today.  A big one.  In my mind 5.4 is BIG.  I was in the car.  THANK YOU GOD!  I don't do well with earthquakes.  Well, I didn't do very well with the one earthquake I felt a few years ago.  The big on in San Simeon that made it's presence known here in LA.  I was in the 2nd floor of an old ratty building in a planned parenthood waiting room.  I freaked.  Started yelling - should we get in a doorway?  Should we get in a doorway.  No one else even batted an eye.  I'm from the South.  The ground doesn't move in the South.

I'm stalling.

Can you tell.

I'm thinking - what other stories can I tell?

I have to get back to this script.

It's a comedy.

I was trying to find odd jobs today for one of my characters.

Do you know that there is a job - I think it's called an "odor-ologist" where people sniff underarms to see if deodorant is working?  And I thought grocery store demos were bad...

Allright. Allright. I am going back to work.

I do need some locations though - 

A clothing store dressing room would be GREAT.

And a cool living room.

And a kitchen.

I can do it here, but would love a really cool location.

no more stalling.

bye.

Grocery Store Etiquitte

I am still waiting for the film to load, so I thought I'd write about this too.

We all have day jobs during this process.

And the more in touch I get with my artistic desires, the more annoyed I become with my day job!

My job entails a lot of marketing, and part of that includes doing demos in stores.

Today I was in a store, and started cracking up at people's reaction to me.

You would have thought I had the most hideous, highly contagious disease.

People would see me, then turn the other way with their carts.

Or if they did come past me, they would speed past me, and not dare to make eye contact.

Others would race past me with their hands over their face and say "NO. No NO"  

What was I doing to elicit such behavior?  I was standing behind a table. Wearing a smile, waiting to offer free samples to anyone who wanted one.

Not samples of arsenic.

Samples of a gourmet beverage.

A true experience of not taking rejection personally.

Getting that it has nothing to do with me.  It's their craziness.

But I will say, next time you are in a store, remember the demo girl is a person too.  Just trying to make a living while she is pursuing her true passion.  So give her a smile, take a sample, and know that you made a difference in her day.  Kindness goes a long way and is appreciated more than we realize.

Week 2

So thank God, I am documentarian.

We agreed that that works best for whoever chooses editor.

Gives that person a break.

I am waiting for the footage to load in to my computer.

I usually watch it as it loads, but there aren't any breaks in it. I guess the camera wasn't shut off a lot between takes, so it's one long shot.  So, I will watch it when I can stop and cut it so create my clip library.

The little bit I watched had some major sound stuff.

Just LOTS of background noise.

That is going to be challenging.

But, I know we can create something beautiful with it.

Tonight was awesome.

Andy Huang came in and he showed us his short.  WOW.  It was so incredible.

I came home and was telling Duffy that the incredible thing for me in this process, is that I am learning so much about myself.

I have always felt that comedy was all I could do, but I am seeing all these cool ideas for movies, and they aren't funny!  They are really "artistic" and I never thought I could do that because I am not the "ohhh man, I am so deep. and so fucked up. I am an artist" But I get that I can just be me, and still be "artistic" and deep and create a story in a way that is compelling and vulnerable and moving, and funny.

The more work I do on myself, the more facets of myself I discover.

IT's like I am a dusty piece of furniture in the attic.

And I am actually doing the work to clean myself off.  And every day, I discover some new little drawer, and in that drawer are all these really cool things that I never knew were there, or that I had seen in other desks, but didn't know that I had it in mine too.

For the first time in my life I am crying on a regular basis. It's beautiful. If you aren't a cryer, I suggest it!  It's so purifying!  And by releasing all these years of pent up tears, I am finding a new sense of myself as an artist.

Tonight I was struck with the realization that I AM doing what I am supposed to be doing. 

I am supposed to tell stories.

I haven't had that knowingness for a while.

I had an idea for two short films that will go together.

I have no idea how to even start, but I have the idea, so I am going to run with it.

I also know that after this, I will shoot my sketch pilot. For sure!  And I have a team of people who can help me if they are so inspired!

First week of Project Reel

Well - I guess I am now officially a blogger. 

Thanks to Project Reel.

I haven't done this before, but I get that in this, as in everything, there is no right way.

Thank God.  Because I know I have too many commas in that last sentence.

It's Sunday night and I am exhausted.  It was a LONG week.

It's amazing all that happened in one week.

We really came together as a team.

Then there was a breakdown on Thursday.

But we made it through.

And honestly, I am glad we had that on Thursday, because on Saturday we were rockstars.

There we were, at a laundramat at 5:30 am.

When my alarm went off at 4:30 I said "What the hell am I doing?  This is crazy"

But after some really shitty 7-11 coffee, I was able to come to.

I was in charge of sound and editing this week.

Am in charge of sound and editing.  The editing has not even begun yet.

It was challenging.  We were at a laundramat that people were using.  So we were dealing with all the SOUNDS that are home to the world of laundry.

Coins from the machine. Washers whirling. Water rushing. Dryers Tumbling.  Things dropping. Babies crying...Oy.

But we did it.

I had a thought at the end of the day that what I could do is create a soundtrack of sorts at the beginning of the movie, with all the different sounds of the laundry.  And make it like a song.  That way, the audience is in tune with it immediately, then they can be with it in the film.

I'll keep you posted as the editing begins!

The actors yesterday kicked ass.

I am excited to act in my film.

I hope I don't pull director tomorrow.

I want to pull documentarian.

I have another GuS soda gig next Saturday, and that would give me the freedom I need to do that event.

I had to leave the shoot yesterday and head straight to an event at the Fox lot.  I got home at 11:30.  Yesterday kicked my ass.  Thank God we didn't have to shoot today.  I slept till NOON!  And am still exhausted!  It's nearly 10 and I am off to bed.  My challenge during this is going to be juggling everything.  And I really need to create a structure with my day job.  I am learning that with structure, comes freedom.

Ok.

See you later!

fran