I haven't said much lately about what I've been working but I can now spill the beans. I've been editing a new webisode series that Sony is putting online called Buried Alive. It's a weird mystery show that plays out over youtube, fearnet.com and various other outlets. Should be neat. Here's a sneak peek.
When my friend Gwilym invited me to go see Dave Brubeck and his quartet at the Hollywood Bowl I immediately said yes. I've been in LA a year and a half and in that time I had never been to the Bowl. It's one of those quintessential LA locales that remind you that, oh yeah, there's some unique history here that doesn't exist anywhere else. The Bowl was built into the side of some hills that served as a natural amphitheater simply by it's shape -- it literally looks like a bowl with the hills above Hollywood.
Last night I watched Deep Water, a documentary about a guy who thought he could sail around the world by himself. Problem was he really wasn't a sailer. Classic tale of someone who's dreams outpaced his reality.
To be perfectly honest, I have a real problem with procrastination. Actually, a better way to put it is that I have a close relationship with procrastination. It's been that way all my life. I've taken a break from writing my script because I've hit a wall. I've tried asking for help from other writers but they keep telling me that's it's a story that I need to figure out for myself. And they're right, of course. It's very autobiographical -- maybe that's the reason it's so difficult to finish. Another contributing factor could be the fact that I have mountains of debt and just enough money in the bank to last me the next three weeks.
Everyday I read the news, send out resumés, and try not to read blogs about filmmaking. For some reason those blogs always leave me feeling depressed. I have a short film that I shot with the Duber that I have yet to finish editing, and I don't know why I'm struggling to complete it. I'm trying to be okay with all of these strange and frustrating facts of my life.
I do find solace in the company of friends, though. Bridget and I watched Superbad with David Lowery. It's a fantastic movie, hilarious. Micheal Cera is unlike any other actor out there right now. He delivers every line of dialogue with disarming charm. Jonah is gut-wrenching-funny.
I have an interview today with the producers of a horror film who are looking for an editor. I just finished cutting a title sequence for another low-budget indie. Tomorrow I'll finish cutting three spec commercials. And I'm talking to Chris Eska about how perhaps the titles for his film August Evening might be improved. As I recall they're fairly simple and straightforward. They seemed to match the mood of the movie, but he seems to think they're might be some way to improve on them.
We've been going through a minor heat wave in LA. It's nothing compared to what you guys are going through in Austin, though. But when you consider the fact that a major reason for living out here is "the weather" then things start to seem a little off.
That's all. Just had to report.
I am no longer an earthquake virgin!!! Last night I felt my first earthquake since moving to Los Angeles. A 4.6 sized quake hit north of Chatsworth at 12:58am. I was I was sort of halfway falling asleep when it happened and so I wasn't really aware of it that much. I heard a woman in the next building over kind of exclaim and I thought that was unusual, and I think I was beginning to incorporate her voice into my dream. I remember thinking, she sounds mad at someone. And then in the next moment I realized that I was being gently rocked back and forth. And then the rocking stopped and there was an echo of a rumble, and then Bridget said, "did you feel that?" By then I was awake. In hindsight I realized what happened, but I was not aware of it during the actual quake which bums me out because I've been looking forward to experiencing one.
I must say, I'm don't want anyone to get hurt in an earthquake. I just want to feel what it's like to have the earth move underneath me and then I want everyone to be happy and go on with their lives. If it were up to me, I'd give us all a little shake this afternoon and be done with it. But it's not up to me I guess. It's up to the fault lines of the southland. I guess you could say it's not my fault.
Lately I've been really hustling for editing gigs in LA. Most of my work over the last year has originated out of Texas but that's starting to taper off. So I've created a new demo reel online here and I've been sending it out to the various job postings that I see online. You can see additional clips by clicking on some of the links in the navbar at the top. One of my favorites is "The Breakout" -- don't miss it!
Not much new going on except that I got a new car and I'm drinking iced coffee. I love the new car but I'm not a big fan of iced coffee. Ray Bradbury lives in my Neighborhood! Actually he lives in in the well-to-do neighborhood next to mine. I found out that there is an effort to rename the Rancho Park branch of the LA Public Library the Ray Bradbury-Rancho Park branch. I was there the other day looking for something new to read and I ended up pulling a signed, first edition copy of "The Toynbee Convector" off the shelf. How much is that worth? I asked the librarian and she seemed to think that was a common occurance and so it wasn't worth very much. (Kennedy Poyser, what do you think? -- message sent c/o B. Poyser.)
After taking great care in washing my car yesterday morning, it seems that an armada of sea gulls was unimpressed. They let loose a tidal wave of crap upon it. It could be a message from God or perhaps just plain old kharmic dysentery.
Cavite, the phenomenally low budget thriller from Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon, opened at the Nuart theater this past week in LA. I saw the film on DVD back when Janet and John Pierson first decided to rep it. Actually I think John's class at UT officially repped it (which is just so damn cool it makes me want to go back to film school). I urge everyone out there to see this film. It's the perfect execution of a movie that cost the price of two plane tickets to the Phillipines. Congratulations Neill and Ian!
Last month I turned 32 years old (yipes!). Bridge gave me what will have to go down as one of the best birthday gifts ever -- an hour and a half flying lesson. I don't know how many of you know this about me but I have a private pilots license, got it when I was 18. I started flying when I was 14 but I had to sort of give it up when I was 22 because paying the bills out in the real world doesn't leave a whole lot of disposable income to go out renting airplanes with. I've taken flights here and there over the years, and I can always get back into it once I make my millions (ha!), but I always need to fly with an instructor because I can't afford to stay proficient.
So anyway, we went up with an instructor named Jan who is from Poland. It was amazing! Here are some pics from that flight:
Here's the Cessna 172 that we rented -- it's a four-seater plane.
Banking right over Beverly Hills.
We flew directly over LAX!
Me in the pilot's seat.
Bridge in the back.
Landing is the greatest, most exciting, and most challenging part of the flying. It really tests you.
That night we ate sushi at Yamashiro. Perfect.
I've been hella busy lately rustling up some work, working on the script, and selling my car. Yes, that's right, if you're looking for a stellar red 1994 Toyota 4-Runner V6 2WD 4-door then step right up. It's got 149K miles on it and it's sure to go another 100K knowing the reputation that Toyota has. I'm selling it on the low side of its blue book value -- $4300 o.b.o. It's got the normal wear that a car like this has, but it runs great. So if you or anyone you know is looking for an SUV, let me know.
I've been watching the Sopranos, season 1. But I recently saw the pilot episode of The Shield so now that show is vying for my attention. Finished Kingdom II by Von Trier. By the way, I just recently learned that the "Von" in Von Trier is fake. He added it to his name early on in his career.
That is all.
Today we visited the nomadic museum at the Santa Monica Pier. What's the nomadic museum you ask? Take a look see at Ashes and Snow. It's a traveling museum that exhibits the photos of a guy who gets to travel the world for free and take pictures of animals dancing with humans. It's pretty amazing actually. I recommend viewing the flash version of the website.
The past few nights I've been fortunate enough to catch some very cool LA nightlife events. Last night I went to the LA Philharmonic and heard a performance of Mozart's Masonic Funeral Music, Haydn's Symphony No. 103 in E-flat major, and Shostakovich's death-obsessed Symphony No. 14. The piece from Mozart was only 6 min long but it was completely intoxicating. The way the themes flowed from the violins to the cellos to the bass and back was mesmerizing. And it was over so quickly... but that's okay because it was only a small taste of what's to come: later this month the LA Phil is celebrating Mozart's 250th birthday by performaing his Requiem. Not to be missed.
Hadyn was nice, but Shostokovich was crazy. He built this symphony out of 10 or so poems on death by the likes of Lorca and Rilke. The notes were flying at me like out of control fireworks. That's the best I can do to describe it.
Two nights ago I went to the LA Improv comedy club and saw Sarah Silverman and Drew Carey! Silverman was everything I heard she could be -- raunchy but sweet and endearingly racist in an even-handed satyrical kind of way. One of my favorite bits: older jewish people and young black men have so much in common -- they're fond of wearing jumpsuits, they both drive cadillacs, and all their friends are dying.
Drew Carey was pissed at the government, but who isn't?
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