My new web series! My Two Brads is a sitcom spoof in which we take one lame joke and spin it a million different ways. You know, just like a real sitcom? Only difference: we promise to keep every episode about one minute in length. Made with Brad Bishop and Brad Smith (yes, the show is based on real events) and with the musical talents of Sven Faulconer. Here is our pilot episode. Head over to http://mytwobrads.com to subsribe on YouTube or Vimeo, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, G+, all of that stuff...
Wait For Me
Magic uncovers the beauty of beginnings and endings in an ordinary cafe... This was my submission to the Moby music video contest hosted by Genero. This was also my final project for my dynamics effects class at the Gnomon school (the flower, in particular). I wore several hats for this project: writer, producer, director, cinematographer, matchmover, editor, animator, VFX artist...
What I didn't do was any of the acting. I am extremely grateful to Jameelah Nuriddin, Marie Kleinschmidt, Brian Sounalath, Ace Marrero, and Erin Stegeman for doing this on short notice and for nothing but the love of acting and my eternal gratitude.
It's a little rough around the edges, but I only had about two weeks to get the entire thing made (with the exception of the flower- I worked on that throughout the course of the term).
High Flyin' Fun...
I've always had a bit of a fear of heights. It's nothing unreasonable. I can get a little dizzy on ladders or scaffolding and shudder when I see people falling in movies. This fear became a full-blown phobia after the terrorist attacks on September 11. I was in New York when that happened and saw the buildings fall right in front of me from my roof in Brooklyn. It took me a while to get to the point where I am now: comfortably working- despite the constant threat of earthquakes- on the 18th floor of a high-rise. Over the years, people have tried to get me over this fear (though I personally think you SHOULD be a little nervous about being high off the ground- it is a natural self-preservation mechanism, after all). Soaring through the air on a flying trapeze, safely in a harness and with a net beneath me, seemed like an exciting way to confront my nervousness.
Here is the video proof of my willingness to overcome! I had a BLAST doing this and hope to do it again soon. I got a little distracted by the aerial silks (which I have been doing almost every week since this video was made), but I hope to return to the sky soon.
Many thanks to Brad Bishop and Hermione Leach for filming and SUPER thanks to Morningstar Bloom for NOT LISTENING TO ME AT ALL when I told her I couldn't do it! :P
VFX Demo Reel
A sample of my VFX work. Made using Maya, After Effects, Boujou and several other tools (including Flash). My passion here is dynamics. I love organic movement.
Pretty Good Year
We often start the New Year by making our steadfast resolutions: I'm going to lose weight. I'm going to write that screenplay. I'm going to learn French... In short, we seek out to "fix" our lives in some way. It's equally important to take a moment to look back on the year and reflect on everything that you have done. With 2011 in full swing, I take a moment to recall few of last year's highlights:
I got to hang out on some awesome television sets as an extra. The Office? Mad Men? Castle? That's pretty bad ass. I'm VERY lucky.
I got a job as a web developer at Fox. I've gotten to create/work on sites for my favorite shows and some of the best shows on television. Fringe? Family Guy? The Simpsons? Glee?
I'm working on my 3rd level of improv comedy classes at The Upright Citizens Brigade theater.
I've gotten to see DOZENS of movies/performances with their creators! "Up" with Pete Docter and Bob Peterson? "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnasus" with Terry Gilliam? "Avatar" with James Cameron? "Scott Pilgrim" with Edgar Wright? "ASSSCAT" with Amy Poehler, Jon Hamm, Jack McBrayer, Matt Walsh, Tim Meadows, Heather Graham, Matt Besser, and Ian Roberts?! I can't even list everything!
I aced particle dynamics at the Gnomon School and made a music video out of what I learned.
I've gotten to explore Southern California in all of its glory.
I've mingled with awesome people. John Noble? Hugh Laurie? Seth MacFarlane? Hells to the yes!
And not least of all, I met a wonderful and talented guy who makes me smile, think, and melt, and with whom I get to share much of the above. Our adventures are just beginning.
The point here is not to brag. In this year, I've also lost a grandmother, heard news that my grandfather fell down a flight of stairs and is in bad shape, watched my dad get a triple bypass surgery, heard the horrible news of my high school BFF's struggle with breast cancer, done great battle with unemployment, helped my brother pick himself up off the ground, worked 100+ hours a week to get the new Fox.com off the ground (almost losing my sanity in the process), failed a relationship, lost friends, and collected a hefty amount of debt in the process. But the positives FAR outweigh the negatives. I've done all of this DESPITE all of that. My point is to prove that if I get out there and try to make it happen, you can. Granted, I tend to live my life at about 100 miles per hour. Sometimes, the passage of time doesn't even register with me. Since moving out to Los Angeles back in August/September of '09, I have pushed myself to do all that I can in my entertainment career.
Wait, wait. What was that? "Entertainment?" That's right. I have accepted it. I work in entertainment. Yes, I consider myself above all to be a "filmmaker" and primarily a "director," but I've really opened my mind to television and the Internet. Also, take a look around my site! I clearly have about a dozen other interests and entertaining talents. Realizing this about myself and accepting that having such a broad range of interests is an asset rather than a liability has been a major step for me this year. I enjoy acting. I enjoy writing. I enjoy drawing. I enjoy animating. I enjoy photography. I enjoy scientific discussion. I enjoy music. Hell, I even enjoy web development, my so-called "day job" now that I work for Fox. And to boot, I'm not too bad at those things. Why should I stop doing any one of them?
We have a tendency to want to slip others and ourselves into tidy little well-defined slots. Time and time again, I have had "wiser" people tell me I need to focus on one thing (and I've heard this said of some of my other friends with "multifaceted" interests and talents). The problem with that is that it doesn't work for everyone. The more I limit my music playing, the less inspired I feel to write. The fewer photo-hiking trips I take, the less I feel the urge to sit down and code. When I feel like my interests are too scattered, I remind myself that my idols like James Cameron and J.J. Abrams write, direct, draw, compose, geek out about science, etc. And thanks to twitter, I'm learning that other people I admire have just as varied interests and talents (and learning to appreciate others that I may not have ever heard about).
Enough. Do what you love. All of it. As much as you can squeeze into your life. Soak up every day. Love someone. Shout it out. And as the song in my video cries out: Go Do! The secret to life is not that complicated. Live it. My resolution is to make 2011 just as awesome as 2010, accepting that there will be bad with the good. Take a moment and reflect on just how much you did in 2010 and reward yourself for that. Make 2011 about building from that, not scolding yourself and giving yourself rules. And above ALL, let a little love into your life. There's a lot about the world to love.
It's an Awesome Day When I Must Juggle Robots vs Aliens in the News
A friend of mine sent me a story this morning with the following headline (image will link to story):
Toy robot detours traffic near Coors Field
Another sent me this one (again, image links to story):
NASA Finds New Life
Extras Gig #2: Cold Case
(Picking up on my extras stories...) The second extras assignment I got was for the show "Cold Case." Fittingly, the thing I remember most about this experience was that it was freezing. It was also wet and muddy- sometimes dangerously so (lights and their power generators and cables don't mix well with "wet"). How a Los Angeles set manages to seem freezing and wet to a native Colorado ski bunny is beyond me. I played a 1970's-ish circus goer who witnesses an "accident" on the aerial silks (the show aired months ago, so if this is a spoiler, I'm sorry, but you need to catch up). I was married with kids. The pressures of the set split our happy family up, though. My husband and I separated. I lost custody halfway through. So did he. Sigh. I miss little… kid.
Not only was it freezing, but the costumes were ridiculously uncomfortable. I still don't quite understand how women could wear polyester, pantyhose and high heels. Simultaneously.
Part of the props also included balloons. Anyone who has known me long enough or who regularly reads this blog understands that this is a pretty serious problem.
I am globophobic (afraid of balloons and yes, it is a real thing and yes, you can shut up). They make me tense up and act like an imbecile. I will leave a grocery store if I can hear them being blown up. When I see a balloon animal artist (or as I view them: terrorist) on my side of the street, I will make an effort to cross to the other side or feign sudden interest in whatever the storefront closest to me has to offer. The situation to the left, for example, in which my "daughter" is mercilessly beating me with a balloon flower, was torture. It's a strange phobia and does not solicit the same sympathy as, say, a fear of heights or a fear of spiders. I usually just keep my mouth shut about it and hope I don't reveal too much to the person walking with me. (note: I recently tried to overcome this fear by participating in/orchestrating a photo shoot. The results of this test are on my facebook page.)
Of course, "my kids" wanted balloons and balloon animals more than they wanted sugar (which on that set, was saying something). They also insisted on attacking both me and my camera with them. I wore a brave face throughout it all. Three balloons were detonated in front of me. People kept thrusting them into my hands. Honestly, I should get a freaking Oscar for the photo at the bottom of this post. Or an Emmy, this being television. Do they give out Emmy's for stills?
Anyway, it was two days of either standing in the mud or sitting on metallic bleachers and being told to "shush" every three seconds. The popcorn was fake- actually, it was real, but ancient. I am SO glad none of the children eating it plus copious amounts of cotton candy were mine. Seriously. Whose idea was that? "We have a bunch of kids that we need to keep still between shoots on a circus-like set filled with clowns, balloons, and live snakes (I don't think the snakes made the final cut). How do we keep them manageable? I know! Let's give them stale salty popcorn and colored clouds of sugar!"
Turned out they had to cut many of my scenes because the guy in front of me was wearing earrings and they didn't catch it until AFTER the last shot. The result? You can see approximately half of my head for less than a second. I vowed to never again do it, but then, I hit the jackpot of extras gigs...
If I Could Write Music...
I'm working on it, but I have a long way to go before I can get anything this raw and honest out of my voice/fingers:
Extras Experience #1: 100 Questions
After weeks of dialing and dialing, I got my first gig in November of 2009: Bar Patron on the NBC summer season sitcom "100 Questions" (note: this episode will air on Friday. I will try to update with a screencap if I can get one). Since this was going to be my first time on a big television set, I was really excited for the job. That is... until someone not only took the wind out of my sails, but shot a canon through the side of my enthusiasm ship by informing me that you haven't really arrived on the extras scene unless you're in a summer blockbuster and THEY call YOU. Dually noted. From my new perspective on the bottom of the "T'ain't-nothin'" Ocean, I prepared myself for my experience. I was told to come "hair-and-makeup-ready" (this industry is filled with terms spawned from bad English, more on that later), which required the purchase of makeup. I ended up spending about $50 to make my $8/hour. I took one stealthy picture of my costume in the bathroom because I was terrified of being sued or killed. I also respect the "No Spoilers" rule and the concept of "sensitive information," so it's not just a matter of self preservation. I've since learned that a picture of myself in a business suit does not count as "sensitive information." In fact, how do you know this is not just a picture of me from some office job in 2002?
As a girl who once made television sets in her desk at school, it was surreal to finally be on the set and stare at all of the toys. It was all I imagined it to be and more! Lights, camera, lots of inaction mixed with frenzied moments of action, baseball caps, gaffing tape! There were only three walls and bleachers (complete with "Applause" light). A particularly fun Hollywood moment came when we were told that in the event of an earthquake, we should run to the nearest wall. The nearest REAL wall. The director was loud and had a British accent. Only he and the first AD were either allowed to laugh at the jokes or thought they were funny (I'm leaning toward the latter- note the earlier description of "NBC summer season sitcom"). And I'm pretty sure James Cameron was the second AD. Why not? I don't think he had anything better to do at the time...
I met people who were happy to be there and revved up about the industry, and jaded, miserable folks who should probably seek out other careers. I found myself somewhere in between. "Content" would be the best way to put it. After all was said and done, though, I'd had enough fun that I decided to try to land another gig.
Extra! Extra!
Ah, yes. It's about time I got around to writing about this! It's been, without a doubt, the activity my friends and family are most interested in hearing about. I had a bit of cash saved up before I moved out here, so I was able to play a little bit before "buckling down" and finding a "real job." I decided to skip on down to Central Casting and sign on to be an extra- sorry, "background actor." That's right; I just basically implied that being an extra is not a "real job." Also, I used a semicolon. Read on THAT!
Granted, some people have managed to make it such, and I applaud their success (and wonder how much Top Ramen they must eat), but it is NOT for the faint of heart. Often times referred to as "dots" or "blurs," extras are treated with absolutely zero respect. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect respect (soon to be a new hit song), but here I am referring to such an extreme lack of respect that you don't even feel like a human being. The props are quite literally treated better than you are. As a non-union extra, you make $8 an hour to stand on your feet all day, often in uncomfortable attire, and to be shushed like a five year old every time you yawn, sneeze, or say "hi" to your fellow extras. But if it's worth it to you to have a little bit of yourself attached to a project or to see that star you always wanted to meet, read on:
Here's how it works: you go down to "Central" at the most inconvenient time on a weekday morning. You listen to their spiel. You stand in a long-ass line with dozens of other Hollywood hopefuls. You register with them (SSN, DLN, W-2, height, measurements, dress size, special talents, car type, "how far will you go," the works). You stand in another long-ass line. You stand in front of a camera (about as sophisticated as the DMV) and get a picture taken. One. You do not get to see said picture. They hand you a packet of papers and give you a phone number to call. You call said phone number. Again. And again. MANY times per day. You listen to pre-recorded job postings and hope to hear one that sounds like something you match and that is something you might actually like to do. You listen to the WHOLE THING because often they only want your car, or your specific breed of dog, or they want you to jump into a swimming pool with all of your clothes on (repeatedly) or shave your head or be a professional soccer coach or a biker or stripper or something (yes, I've heard all of these) and they seem to want to put this critical information last. You call another number to talk to the agent that posted this call. This number will be busy. Always. (I guess a lot of people fit "non-union woman between the ages of 21 to 71.") You call again and again and again (because you have nothing better to do) or you pay $75 a month to have someone else do it for you (keeping in mind that you will still only make $8/hour when they find you work). IF you get the gig, they will give you almost NO information about where it is or what you will be doing or how long it will take because again, you have nothing better to do and can put everything else on hold. If you don't get the gig (after all of that), you spend the next several hours worrying that you sneezed or a bug landed on your face in that headshot you never got to see. They give you yet another number to call the night before your job. You call that number (note: get a phone plan with unlimited minutes). They pre-scold you for being late and/or not having everything you need. They tell you to bring your own clothes and often something you would never own and will need to buy (i.e. pantyhose). You try to sleep the night before because your call time is often early in the morning (6:15AM) or late at night (10PM), running until early in the morning. You fight traffic to get to set on time. You fail. You park as far away as possible from the set. You arrive and check in with the 2nd AD or a PA who will either ignore you or call you sweetheart. You go sit in "holding" which is often a tent with a bunch of metal folding chairs in it. You talk to some cool people and a couple of crazy folks. They tell you to be quiet. They tell you to go to costume, hair and makeup, all three of which will tell you to go away because no one is really going to see you and they don't want to waste their time. You swallow sadness and immerse yourself in a good book. You get called to set. They tell you to be quiet. A lot. Even if the crew is making all of the noise, they will blame the "background talent" for the hammering. You do your thirty seconds of bad "casual conversation" pantomime. You feel good because you SWEAR the camera is, like, totally right on you the whole time! They feed you (usually). You finish your "day." You go home and tell all of your family and friends to tune into whatever show at whatever time. A week later, you get a paycheck for approximately $80 for ten+ hours of work. Your episode airs or your film is released. Two people report possibly seeing the back of your head for half a second. One of them is your mother. It turns out that it was not your head, but you don't tell anyone that. You swear you are never going to do it again. Two weeks later, you call the pre-recorded line and start the process all over again. This time you just know you're going to get that SAG voucher!*
However, like all experiences, crappy or otherwise, being an extra expands my library of fun stories to tell, and I shall share them here- with pictures (where possible)! You know, someone should make a television show based on their experiences as an extra. It might be really funny! They could get awesome actors to guest star. Ooh, ooh! I'd love to see Ian McKellan do something on a show like that...
(*You need to get three vouchers before you can join the Screen Actor's Guild, which is every non-union extra's dream. Once you have your vouchers, you pay SAG a large sum of money and then you can actually begin making a more livable wage from doing "background" work.)
FAQ: My Dog
That's my dog, Pixol. This picture was taken at LAX. She is sitting in her soft dog carrier (read: celebutante dog purse) after having made me chase her through the concourse, knowing neither "come" nor "stay." What's a Pixol, you ask? Why, a pixol is a three-dimensional pixel in Z-Brush. A Pixol is also my dog. Why Pixol and not Pixel? Because my dog has three legs. Ba-dum tish. And what a good way to kick off my FAQ! Whenever I take my little one out for a walk in our Santa Monica neighborhood, we are bombarded with questions and comments concerning her handicapability. I decided to create this FAQ and direct people here to make our lives a little easier. In descending order of frequency:
MY DOG, AN FAQ
Q. Oh my God! He only has three legs!
A. This is not a question. It's a (rude) statement. I already knew that. And he is a she. But thanks for pointing that out. You're good at seeing stuff.
Q. What happened to its leg?
A. Wait... what? Where's your... bad dog! Bad dog!! Let's go back to the dog park...
Q. No, seriously, what happened to her leg?
A. Shark fight. You should see the other guy.
Q. Are you only going to give sarcastic answers to these questions?
A. Mostly. Actually, she was hit by a car and it had to be amputated. There. Don't you think "shark fight" is way cooler?
Q. Was she "like that" when you got her?
A. Yes, I adopted her with a missing leg. And yes, "good for me" for taking her in. I am awesome and the angels smile upon me.
Q. Aww... well she gets along just fine, doesn't she?
A. No, she doesn't. It's a daily struggle, and I'll thank you not to bring it up again. Actually, yes. She doesn't even seem to notice. She slips on the hardwood floor, but then so do I after a glass of wine. Of course, I only have two legs, so you be the judge of who is more coordinated...
Q. Are you ever going to get her a prosthetic?
A. If I ever feel that she needs one, absolutely. Or if I ever want her to be a pirate for Halloween. I will go as her parrot. It will be awesome.
Q. How long have you had her?
A. It's funny how often people ask me this question. Is this a question asked of all dog owners or only the owners of dogs with missing legs?
Q. Does it ever bother her?
A. Not really. I mean, when she gets tired of walking she just flies. Like everyone.
Q. What's her name mean? Why didn't you name her Tripod or Hoppy or Stumpy or some other stupid thing? Heh heh.
A. I don't know. Why didn't your parents name you Rude or Baldy McAsks-a-lot-of-dumb-questions? Isn't "Pixol" bad enough?
Q. Have you seen the dog with only two legs?
A. OMG Yes!! It's the worlds cutest YouTube video and it made me cry liek a lawt. ^_^
Q. What kind of dog is she?
A. She's a Chispangledoodle mix. And also part cat. Somehow.
So there you go. Everything you ever wanted to know about my dog. If you can think of any other questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments section.
Stargazing
You know that you are living in the land of celebrities when the local Whole Foods has a sign that says that you are not allowed to photograph people in the store. I’ve tried to train myself to notice the stars, but I only seem to notice them when someone is beside me and says, “hey, isn’t that so-and-so from such-and-such?” I also notice them on the set, if I happen to be working on their show or movie. Sometimes… I have been mistaken for a celebrity on a few occasions and it has really piqued my curiosity. I’d like to know who people think I am so that I know how to sign the napkin and ask for my “famous person” discount. Regardless, it is kind of fun to play with it. One year at the Cannes film festival, I put on my celebrity disguise (black t-shirt and jeans with a black baseball cap and sunglasses… not that this departs greatly from my usual attire) and had my friend take pictures of me as I was walking down the street, acting indignant. That turned a few heads.
Still, even as a non-celebrity, it’s a bit strange to think that there are actually people watching you as you go about your business. Just to say they saw you, say, at the local Pinkberry after their yoga class… Ohai, Fran Kranz. You were awesome in Dollhouse, luvyakbai! It does make life in LA-LA land kind of fun, though. I hope I don't tarnish the reputations of Jennifer Connelly, Jenna Fischer, Michelle Williams, Christina Ricci and other random celebrities whom I have been told (and don't believe) I resemble by walking down Rodeo Drive with my fizzy hair while eating copious amounts of chocolate and enjoying the company of a guy none of those women is reportedly dating (I'm talking to you, shirt-wearing Matthew McConaughey lookalike).
And yes, I can confirm that so-and-so is hot, that such-and-such is probably going to be canceled and that celebrity-couple-portmanteau will probably be breaking into their own pronouns soon, especially with the arrival/adoption of the baby. No one really thought it would last, anyway.
Lost Spoilers and Pop Culture Overload
Warning: this post contains spoilers no spoilers, actually. At least not to Lost. At least... not that I know...
So, I'm about ready to sink into a deep, dark depression. In case you have been living in a hole for six years or just refuse to partake in all things wholesome and good, I'll get you up to speed.
There's this little show called Lost. It was created by some guy named J.J. Abrams and then handed over to these guys named Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. It's about some folks who crash on an island and then some stuff happens over six seasons. Compelling protagonists. Complex antagonists. Mystery, intrigue, romance, drama, sci-fi and general mythology ensue and then it ends today.
That's right.
It ends today.
In some ways, this makes me incredibly happy. I like endings. I don't like shows that stretch out for years based only on ratings and then suddenly come to an abrupt end when the sponsor gives up on it. In other ways, it makes me incredibly sad. I've really become attached to these characters. Quite a few things have ended recently. No more Harry and Hermione. No more Starbuck and the Cylons. No more Hiro and Claire Bennett. No more Flash Forward. And now, no more Jack and Kate. Sigh. Comic-Con had better deliver me something geeky to obsess over this year or I might have to leave my house more often (or at least when Fringe is not on).
Since it is all over the internets and has become something of a pop-culture meme, I offer here my own Top Ten Lost Series Finale Spoilers:
It's all just a dream. Vincent's dream.
John Locke is Keyser Soze.
The Island sees dead people, and it's YOU who has been dead the whole time!
Turns out the whole thing is about Shannon, Boone, Nikki and Paolo.
The hatch was actually a worm hole that connected to the Large Hadron Collider. And they blew it up! Those maniacs! Damn them. God damn them all to hell.
Claire is Jack's sister! His mother! His sister! His mother! She's his sister AND his mother!!!
There is no Island, only Zuul!
Kate is actually Sawyer.
"Dharma" is the name of his sled. It's also made of people. No, seriously. They wear jumpsuits and stuff.
It's an alternate universe run by aliens who live in a black hole at the center of hell, can travel through time, have x-ray vision, and also everyone is dead and it's all about the Bible or some junk, but it's okay because it's all just Hurley's schizophrenic delusion.
Thanks for the ride, guys. I will forever carry my Dharma Initiative card in my wallet and the stories in my heart.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Oscars
Okay, the Oscars were over a week ago. Yes, I knew Avatar wasn't going to win. Sci-Fi only really wins in VFX, makeup, sound mixing and the like* Yes, I'm ECSTATIC that a female won for best director for a very worthy film. It was weird to think they were taking place 20 minutes from my house (approximately 3.8 days with traffic) and that I had actually seen many of the winners in real life (most of them by grace of the awesome Jeff Goldsmith who hosts podcasts for Creative Screenwriting magazine, but also the crew of "The Cove" who actually debuted that film in Boulder, Colorado before I moved away). I wanted to post this before the awards, but here it is. A funny little anecdote:
So an experimental film friend of mine works at the Academy Archives. I’d heard him mention this before, but I always just thought of the job: archivist. I’d never once considered the place: The Academy. Probably some… like… military school or university or something? Didn’t matter to me. He works at an archive. I worked in preservation at a film lab. We spoke the same language and that was enough.
He invited me and my friend to explore some of cultural Los Angeles and catch a movie (which was followed by pie at Apple Pan- YUM, YUM and DOUBLE YUM).
We followed the directions. As we approached the building my companion said, “wait. Your friend works at the ACADEMY archives?”
Uh, yeah. Should I know what this means? I’m new to L.A., so probably not.
It wasn’t until after I entered the lobby, having gotten through a couple of security checkpoints and passing several displays housing Oscars, that I realized that the “Academy” was not referring to West Point. The Academy was referring to The Academy. The AMPAS. The one you would like to thank (along with your agent, significant other and hardworking crew). Oscars.
I tried to hide my embarrassment at my naïveté. What? The Academy Awards. So? I knew that. Like I care. Like… what? Like I host a party every year, glue myself to the E! channel and write my acceptance speech out in my head every time I finish a project? Pshaw! As if!
(*practices acceptance wave*)
It didn’t take long for me to completely geek out after that. We got a tour of the storage facilities and some of the screening rooms. It was pretty damn cool. Glamour aside, it was just cool from a technical standpoint. And it was cool from a temperature standpoint, it being a film storage facility and all that. (Ba-dum tish!) And *I* probably seemed pretty damn cool for appearing not to give a f&*% about it. Then again, I just blew that cool by divulging the truth here on this blog.
Me= clueless geek.
*interesting that Avatar won for best cinematography... I've already explained why that's cool to people who say "but it wasn't 'filmed.'" It was, actually- remember that there were also real actors and real sets on that film and that the lighting and camera on those sets needed to match exactly what was happening digitally. Not to mention that you still have to fuss over depth of field and all of that on the computer side AND make it match what you shot in reality... Discuss!
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James Cameron and Me
Why does this man make so much money? I can't answer this question for everyone, but I can answer it for me. I'm a girl who got her first SCUBA mask at 15 and got certified in a rock quarry in Pennsylvania in winter (which means I am both nitrox and dry suit certified, thank you very much). I cleaned animal poo at at veterinary clinic to fund my voyage to Sea Camp in San Diego at around that age. I can relate to his love of exploring the "alien" underwater world.
Further, as someone who lugged a 70 lb Cousteau-style underwater housing system for a 16mm Bolex through Brooklyn and Manhattan (via subways) and got scolded CONSTANTLY for making flip books out of science texts, drawing instead of taking notes, and recreating television sets in her desk (I'm not even exaggerating- ask my mom. It was the set of Moonlighting and I was about eight years old) I can relate to the love of art and movies. EVEN MORE, as someone who went back to school at the age of 25 for astrophysics because I fell in love with the images coming back from Mars and Titan, I can relate to the love of science fiction and space exploration. I offer here his presentation at TED. If I can have even 1/3 of the filmmaking adventures he has had, I will die a happy girl. I would love to bring my love of science together with my love of films. (I'm working on it. And I've all the confidence in the world that I can.)
I will gladly fork over the cash to see anything James Cameron does. I think that his scientific background is WHY he makes good SciFi movies. (Did you know that the glowing bioluminescent plants in Avatar are based on very simple creatures found right here off the coast of SoCal? It's not SciFi, it's just science re-appropriated.)
"Curiosity. It's the most powerful thing you own" "The respect of your team is more important than all the laurels in the world." "Failure is an option. But fear is not." Seriously... I love this guy.
OH... and by the way. I twittered this and posted it on my facebook page, but I was lucky enough to have seen Avatar WITH James Cameron and to hear him talk about it with his production designers at the end. It is not a requirement for a director to know everything about the technology (s)he is using, but he DOES. It is pretty clear that his production designers DO respect him. Since I also geek out about film technology, I should add that I FINALLY got to see the 3D system they were talking about when I was in Cannes, which made me a happy girl.
(I love how they are all squatting off the edge of my soda cup. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to take photos so I James Bonded it...)
EDIT: Cameron's 3D talk at Cannes can be found at the American Pavilion website, if you are interested.
I'm Team Jacob - of Lost, that is
Some Phun with Photoshop before I get my day going (I was actually surprised I couldn't already find this in a google search). Team Jacob:
(Edit: A friend of mine wasn't familiar with the Team Jacob/Team Edward meme, so I summed it up in a few short sentences (contains mild Twilight spoilers):
Edward is a vampire. Bella fell in love with him. He didn't think things would work out. He dumped her. Bella was sad.
Jacob is a werewolf. He fell in love with Bella and hated Edward for hurting her. She just wanted to be friends. Jacob was sad
Edward came back and things got all mixed up. Some people thought Edward was a jerk, some thought he was just trying to protect Bella.
Jacob overstepped his bounds, and some people thought he was a jerk, some thought he was just a dumb boy.
Bella fell in love with both of them (I haven't read the last book yet).
Hence you are either Team Edward or Team Jacob (I was Team Bella, but that's not an option).)
Well hello my name is Simon, and I like to do drawrings!
Remember Mike Meyers in a bathtub? Of course you do, you cheeky monkey! I've been trying to document some of my sketches over the last few days. I'm slowly posting them in my "drawings" section. I thought I would post a few of them here on my blog, as well.
This is Neyteri. I am a nerd. I doodled this while on the set of The Office, earning me the nickname "Avatar." Being called "Avatar" by Craig Robinson was a delightful geek moment for me. More on that after the episode airs...
This is a quick sketch of Doctor Orpheus from The Venture Brothers. My reference material was my iPhone and I scanned him before I could finish his hands, but I plan to do more of him. He's really fun to draw:
More to come. I had been waiting to get a scanner, but I have found that my iPhone takes decent pictures of drawings as long as I have them in the sun. I think Neyteri might be a tiny bit warped, but the idea is there.
Burbank
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. It’s black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The great eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."
Well, clearly, Boromir would NOT win an Independent Spirit Award.
(What's that? TWO Lord of the Rings references in a row? Yep.)
Let’s just say Burbank is not a place I would like to live. Ever. I knew this before I moved to California (in fact, when people trashtalk Los Angeles, they have usually only been to either the Burbank/Studio City area or Downtown Hollywood), but it was confirmed for me on the first day of 110 degree weather and asthma attacks from pollution that it is not a place I should call home.
Burbank is located in the armpit of the San Fernando Valley. While it is home to many television, film and animation studios, it also hosts some of the worst air in the country. The mountains surrounding the Valley make it impossible for the pollution to go anywhere. These same mountains keep hot, stagnant air hot and stagnant. It is also the home and workplace of many a wannabe producer or aspiring... something or other. The result is a nice warm blanket of asphyxiating poison in which many people are behaving badly because they are obsessed with obtaining or keeping power.
Mordor.
To give you an idea: every day there was a new, thin layer of an unidentifiable "dust" on my car (or as we called it in New York: "schmutz"). I had a constant sore throat. It got so hot the day after I arrived that the glue from my shoes in the trunk of my car melted. The soles curled back and peeled themselves off à la the The Wizard of Oz. And it was only 10AM. It also didn't help that there was a hill on fire a few miles away from where I was staying. According to my twitter feed, I wasn't the only one making Lord of the Rings connections...
Still, I was staying with the right people (who I thank ad vitam aeternam for their hospitality). And since then, I have worked several jobs in that area. Forty hours a week is doable. I've gotten to know the area fairly well and have seen that it has its good sides, too. For example, there are many highways that exit out of it.
Okay, it IS really cool that every street you turn down is film-related. And it IS really cool that you can see famous people all over the place. I never recognize them, but I hear they are there. And that’s cool. I geek out taking the studio tours and working on sets and visiting friends who work there. It’s also really cool that there is… like… an Ikea there… or something.
Anyway, my point is...
...I don't know. I didn't have a point, I guess. This is a blog.
I quickly tuned my apartment hunting radar system (which is www.westsiderentals.com for those with an interest in finding housing out this way) to “West Side” and tried to get out of there as quickly as I could. I may have to work there from time to time, but I like to be able to step outside and breathe some fresh air, too.
Nah, Burbank, you’re okay, doll. You know what? Have your people call my people and we’ll… have our people talk to each other. I’m not committing to lunch at Barad-dûr...
Journey to the West Coast
"'And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!’ She lifted up her hand and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illumined her alone and left all else dark. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. Then she let her hand fall, and the light faded, and suddenly she laughed again, and lo! she was shrunken: a slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad.
‘I pass the test,’ she said. ‘I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.’"
I left Colorado with a heavy heart. Like many people, I felt that the world I knew was kind of flipping itself on its head. “Familiar” didn’t make sense anymore. So many people I loved had died, moved, distanced themselves… My state job wasn't enough to distract me from these small town blues. I needed to either flip my own life or be subjected to the whims of this gravity. The latter was not an option. So I put my head on the ground and my feet in the air…
I have reached a very key point in my filmmaking career and I believe that makes my trip to Lala Land a little less scary. I have dispensed with any notions that I am going to "make it big" or that such a thing is even possible. The conclusion I have come to is this: I have tried many things in my life, from astrophysics to teaching. It ALWAYS comes back to film. It has been my passion since I was a child. As long as I am doing what I love, I'm happy. On top of that, I’ve always liked California. I was a bad Coloradoan/New Yorker that way. Is the traffic bad? Sure. Are the people fake? Well, yes, but no more than they are anywhere else. Is Hollywood a hellhole of trash, noise, and tourism? Yes, actually. For the most part, it really is. But no one says I HAVE to spend all of my time there.
I like Los Angeles, actually, and I LOVE Santa Monica (my new home, which is actually its own city). It’s a bit tough to find the cultural gems through all of the strip malls, but they are here! There’s no better place for a film lover- even for one who loves alternative, independent, foreign and avant-garde films. There’s even a silent movie theater! It’s a great place for independent music, as well. The big industry giants make the most noise, so I can see how people might think that there is nothing else out here, but there are thriving pockets of independence in this town. I love it. I always knew I would end up here. Everything I love to do, everything I’m good at- it’s all out here. With beaches! What’s not to love?
Still, Colorado is home. I am a fourth generation native of the state. The goodbyes were extremely hard, but the date to leave was set: my birthday. I drove out to Las Vegas with a good friend and met up with a couple of new friends from L.A. It was a great drive and a great birthday weekend, Vegas-style. That is an experience I’d never really had. I’d never stayed there more than just “overnight” on my way to California, finding it unappealing on many many many levels. But hey, I freakin' hi-fived a Pegasus! Well… low fived. And for me it was five, but he only had one… but it was still AWESOME!
I didn’t have much of a plan once I got out here. I had some cash and a great friend in Burbank, but there was a lot that was still “unknown” and quite a bit of mental upheaval, as well as an insane amount of emotional pressure. I needed it, though. I loved the chaos. In fact, to quote the musician whose video I embedded two posts ago:
“I found the secret to life: I’m okay when everything is not okay.”
And I am.