In March...Chimes will be a-ringing

So the project that began pre-production in the summer, with basically just me, Nicole, and Steven, is now coming close to completion. We burned a copy of the fine cut at 1am last night. We still have to score it and mess with all the sound and graphics, put in titles and credits, etc...and even with that, the project is not done. I am working very hard on publicity, to promote the project, especially because the current events about the Gaviota Coast right now are on the Santa Barbara communities' radar. This issue needs to be kept in the forefront, thus keeping our film visible and available to those who would like to see it, is very important to me. Our website will be up soon, and we are already beginning to talk about DVD productions and television broadcasts.

As I think about this project, I couldn't have had a better crew. I think I put together the best people our department has to offer in terms of talent and synergy.

I'm the producer "who cares too much" or as Annie calls me the "hippie producer," but you know what? so be it. yes, I will be sad when the crew disperses to other projects and we don't have Chimes meetings or shooting weekends anymore.

But we will have this nice funny piece of activism to show for it!

Go See it!!!!!

CHIMES OF GAVIOTA: or I've Got the Real Estate Blues
-along with the other Greenscreen Projects...

IV Theatre:
March 12th
7:30pm

Faulkner Gallery, Santa Barbara Public Library

March 18th
7pm

www.savenaples.org

any other way

So whoever decided that a day is 24 hours, apparently didn't consult with me before.

I have found myself literally scheduling my days every hour...without much consideration of time in between to get to the other place or to prep. (if I had the time I would probably spend it drawing a diagram of my day haha..um trust me, it's been done). It's exciting and these things need to get done but man, my days have started to feel like puzzles....not those hard ones that sit on your kitchen table for weeks because you lose interest or are confused, but luckily the kind that is done quickly but methodically. I guess that's the good thing; my days are very exciting and eventful. I guess I have normalized the idea of stress and fatigue. I haven't quite fully normalized the idea of worry, but I'm getting there. I think there has to be a certain amount of worry that gives me the energy to perfectly plan things so that the actual actions of my day are more spiritedly busy, rather than draining.

But here's the thing, when I even find myself with about an hour or less of spare time among all the hustle and bustle, I am bored. Bored doesn't do well for me. I can be doing nothing and not be bored, like relaxing and watching a movie or drawing, but being bored for me is just another way of saying confused. When I have a lag between my schedule, I am reminded how I wouldn't have it any other way. So when I complain about being busy, it's usually either out of excitement or a fun way to remind me what i have to do. Sometimes my lists are boring, so just talking about my schedule is fun in itself, lol.

I'm weird about being organized and on task, but I get things done and am still happy that somehow I still find time to hang out with friends and be nice to people along the way. Sometimes I say, screw the lists and schedules, but it's still on my mind. I kid about having OCD, but sometimes I see those type of tendencies. I would say I have a mild case of it mixed with love. I studied OCD in high school quite seriously actually and in depth; I found how serious that condition can get. I know I see traces of that in myself, but I do also think that much of those characteristics, like thinking way too much about things in the moment, and wanting to repeat things for assurance, are found in myself for the better. Without those practices, I think I would be a very different person. I don't think I would be as motivated. So for that, I am thankful.

I sometimes complain that not that many people are like me in that way, but then again I am glad that they are not. Call me contradictory, but I like the ways of both worlds; the calm and the energized, the planners and the procrastinators; those busy and those in leisure.

Either way, I wouldn't have it any other way...except the fact that I keep reminding myself that the healthy teen should be getting about 9 1/4 hours of sleep a night.

I share with you these different opinions about being busy, that I may or may not agree with:


“The busy man is troubled with but one devil; the idle man by a thousand”-Spanish Proverb

“A man who is very busy seldom changes his opinions.”- Nietzsche

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”- Thoreau

travel in cards

Thrift stores are one of my favorite places to go..besides bonfires. Vernessa, Brittany, and I...aka the Alpha girls spent a good half hour finding postcards. These are highlights of the adventure :)

1. Jerusalem
2. Tuscany, Italia
3. Fleet Street
4. NZ
5. New Orleans
6. "Mata"

those things you left behind

those little words and doodles you left behind...I kept.

those clippings and arrangements you didn't tape down yet, I secured.

that wet paint was dried by my cherished thought of sharing.

I like new things. but I like old and worn and rusty things better. art is a balance of this.
-picked up and shared art is on the verge of worn.
-picked up and shared art is on the verge of caring.

I know you take these things very personally. sometimes, enough to keep only inside. You share it with me and I feel like a part of that intimate secrecy of art that is public only in our conversation.

that one thing...that collage....I still have. we don't talk anymore but I still have it. is that weird?
it still means something to me...so I guess not.

it took a while but now you know I like you to share. Isn't it special when our rust matches and can mingle? Is any rust the same or does the tarnish just match because of intention?

those melodies come from song and words and pictures and arrangement and splatter.

I don't think you know how talented you are. I don't think you know how proud it can make me to see your work. It may be old, it may be new, but either way, it's collected-in boxes, in stacks, in albums-folded and kept.

My stuff kind of blends in. Why can I throw out some of mine? Maybe my rust is unwanted by anyone but I'd rather feel good about the sharing of yours, than the popularity of mine. Maybe yours conjures up the feeling or inspiration that I want and cannot grasp in mine.

those words you say i might even write down. otherwise the folded memories may not be tangible to remember.

- those words, that pulp, that color, that sound. I still have.

-keep on sharing. whether you realize it or not I like to listen.

radiating contemplation and outreach

a cough of reality

Being really sick this week reminded me not to take my health for granted. Day to day health gives you at least the physical health to do things.

Anyone who know me well, knows how much I don't like to be bored...so this week kinda was lame. But now I am getting better and have things to look forward to, like signing up for classes for next quarter, seeing the rough cut of Chimes, working on the directors series next week, and further developing my reel loud.

health is not everything, because you got to make room for happiness--but man, it is very important. so yea, now I can do stuff :D

written catharsis

Today I got over my fear of writing a short film and began the first draft of the Reel Loud that I am making. I say that I am making with great intent since I am kind of surprised I'm so sure of it. I fee like I need to at least do one that is my idea because until now in the film dept, though I have learned a lot and had lots of artistic expression, I have not completely started a project on my own. That, surprisingly or not has caused me to slightly fear writing something. I always seem to have ideas but never get them on paper beyond a single phrase. I got the feeling a week ago, while watching Into the Wild, which is a surprise, because while I thought it was a good movie, I didn't love it, and since then have been thinking about writing this idea I had. The first thing I did was call six actors that I wanted to work with. I told them I had this idea and am very unsure about it and have not written one word about it, but would love it if they were in it, and they all said yes! I guess that means I'm making it. And that means a lot because I wrote the first draft
today.

So I got over two things already that I didn't think I would soon: writing and fully initiating a project. The last thing is that I have yet to direct, which in this case I am co-directing with Klop, not because I am scared or unsure but plainly because I like being creative with him and I want to be questioned. As much as I want this to be my reel loud and my first true artistic expression (which btw I think people will be surprised with how deep and poetic I tend to be) I want this to be a fun time. It might be a bit odd that I felt the need to secure actors before writing anything, but it got me to make a commitment and the idea is very personal/character driven so it will be fun to scope these characters according to these specific actors.

My only concern is that I tend to want to get really emotional and abstract and have to remember that the way to do this with film is to make is understandable to the audience in some sense. I think Klop will be able to help me do that! Oh and I am happy that Ace agreed to DP it because he and i were both interns on Best Leader and have since paralleled each other in our progress with film so it will be nice to come together and work with each other once again.

I don't know if it will good. But I DO know that it will be fun. And that it will be done. That's good enough for me right now :)

Stay tuned for more info as this comes closer...filming will be probably one weekend after spring break. And I'm also stoked because I can bring in my new production name into the mix since I decided to whip that out at my first personal film...but no worries I figured a way that LShap Productions can still stick around too! (ooh all mysterious...)