Yes, with this, my 75th post, I have hit the one-year mark of maintaining this here blog.  Wowsers.  It was a year ago today that I declared my creative independence and stated my intention to make an independent film.  Of course, I was hoping to be in the thick of said filmmaking at this point, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past year it’s that there is no clear course for getting it done.  So much of it requires timing, luck, and LOTS of persistence.  I have definitely made loads of progress, though, and I’m learning a lot and meeting some great people.  I’m also reconnecting with some great people, which probably wouldn’t have happened had I not initiated this new chapter in my life.

An Explosion of Life Lessons

This recent trip to Madison has been one of my busiest and most productive – and that’s not just because I’ve been staying with my Bieber-feverish nieces.  In fact, it’s been such a constructive trip that I will be returning to America’s Dairyland in a few weeks for an extended stay.  Momentum is building and Executive Producer Dad wants me to be more accessible for those potential investor meetings.  And, frankly, when will I get the opportunity to enjoy weeks of a beautiful Wisconsin summer again? (Hopefully, when I’m here to shoot Beneath the Surface, right?)  I am going to pack up my beloved Prius and road trip out here with VP Babs (what a trooper!) and faithful dog, Lucy.  Sophia, the cat, will stay in Pasadena to hold down the fort and keep an eye on the wild parrots who like to congregate in the palm trees outside our window.  I haven’t driven across the country since I moved out to Los Angeles in 1991, so I’m sure that will be an experience worthy of a blog entry or two.  Babs, get those iPod playlists ready!

Ready to Roll

There are a few things I would have done differently over the past year and I continue to be astonished by the assortment experiences I’ve accrued during this process, but I will save my ruminations for a future post.  For now, I will toast you, my beloved readers, for your support and interest in this collective adventure.  Thanks for hanging out with me and I hope we have more bloggy years to come.  Cheers!

When my adventure at the Los Angeles Film Festival came to a close, I had seen twenty films and attended four panels over a nine day period.   In addition to feeling inspired by the work that’s being done in the indie world, I am also learning a lot about filmmaking in general and the type of film I want to produce.  You realize what a house of cards this whole process can be – one miscast actor or terrible sound package can bring the house cascading down.  Every decision is important.

Oh so precarious...

Before each screening at the festival the audience members received ballots with which to numerically “score” the films.  The grades ranged from 1 (Poor) to 4 (Great) and the final tallies determined the coveted “Audience Award” which is a useful selling point for a film in search of a distributor.  I scored four films a “4”, three films a “2”, and the rest received “3”.  I realized that the films I scored a “4” are films that are not only GREAT in their production values, but I also feel like I can recommend them to just about everyone I know.  There’s a universal appeal within their indie quirkiness that can (and I’m sure will) draw a wide audience in indie terms.

One of these films is NATURAL SELECTION.  Again, here’s the LA Film Fest logline: Linda, a naive, childless, devoutly Christian Texas housewife, gets more than she bargained for when she’s asked to fulfill her dying husband’s request to find and bring home his illegitimate son.  The son in question turns out to be a wild escaped con on the run from the law – and Linda presents him with a perfect cover.  They set off back to Texas on an absurd and dangerous odyssey of self-discovery that is both hilarious and oddly touching.

The film was written and directed by Robbie Pickering and it won both the jury and audience award at the South-by-Southwest film festival.  Pickering was at the Los Angeles screening to introduce the film and he aptly and amusingly described it as a coming-of-age film about a woman in her forties.  Comedienne Rachel Harris plays Linda and demonstrates some surprisingly poignant dramatic chops.  Despite the hilarity of her circumstances, Harris keeps Linda grounded as a genuine, emotionally delicate character.  And Matt O’Leary as the illegitimate son is another revelation.  He is alternately weird, unpredictable, and earnest.

The Indie Odd Couple

And beyond the great performances you’ll find truly solid writing and direction.  Pickering commits to an unusual tone and maintains it with confidence throughout.  It’s a fun ride to be on that also offers up a well-earned helping of heart.  I saw this movie and thought, “Ah, yes…this is how it’s done.”  Luckily, the film already has distribution so you can see how it’s done, too, when it hits a theater near you.  Check it out.

NEXT UP: I’m a Bloggy Doodle Dandy!

I’ve reached the halfway point at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival.  I’ve seen nine films so far and attended three panels.  I’ve paid way too much money for a bottle of water.  I’ve shared the same air with Ryan Gosling, Dustin Lance Black, and Quincy Jones.  Most importantly, I’m feeling creatively invigorated because I am seeing some really exceptional work.  What’s most encouraging about these film festivals is that they remind you IT CAN BE DONE.  Independent films do get made.  Lots of them.  Every year.  You can’t underestimate the power of perseverance.

KEEP GOING!

Below are a few highlights of what I’ve seen so far.  Admittedly, I’m a bit brain dead (a mild case of film fatigue, perhaps?) so I’m lifting the logline descriptions from the Los Angeles Film Festival program.  I’ll add my two cents as well, but why not leave the heavy lifting to the marketing department?  That’s what those clever wordsmiths are paid for, right?  The first three films mentioned are documentaries and the last one is a narrative feature.

ELEVATE: In her outstanding directorial debut, Anne Buford follows several promising Senegalese teenagers with dreams of the NBA as they journey from their homeland to American prep schools and eventually college hoops, navigating cultural hurdles with amazing grace every step of the way.

“Grace” is a good word for these boys.  They are introspective and eloquent about the experience they’re going through, and their devotion to their families and homeland is both moving and admirable.  American teenagers could take a cue from these guys.

WISH ME AWAY: Country Singer Chely Wright knew she was a lesbian at a young age, but she also knew that her orientation was in direct conflict with her aspirations to one day perform at the Grand Ole Opry.  Wish Me Away chronicles the days leading up to Wright’s coming out announcement…and it provides both an intimate look at the fear and torment behind her high-risk decision.

This is a film about courage and love.  Chely Wright was at the world premiere screening that I attended and several members of her family were there to support her.  While the world of country music hasn’t exactly welcomed her back with open arms since she came out, I think she’s found peace in living a more authentic life and she’s found acceptance by a whole new extended family.

WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM:  Heather Courtney’s artful, honest portrait of an America that’s rarely seen on screen begins in 2008.  A group of young men, working class natives of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, join the National Guard, less out of a sense of patriotism than sheer ambivalence.  Courtney’s camera captures the lives of the enlistees, their families, and their girlfriends with exceptional candor, and even before they’ve begun their dangerous tour of duty in Afghanistan, a powerful statement about the cost – economical and emotional – of soldiering has been made.

This utterly astonishing film is about a different type of courage – and the physical and psychological damage that accompanies it.  Courtney’s access to the experiences of these young guys is staggering –  she followed them to Afghanistan and had a front-row seat during their ever-perilous tour of duty, which included performing sweeps for roadside bombs.  It was like watching a real-life Hurt Locker with actual flesh-and-blood people you come to really care about, making it disturbing and potent edge-of-your-seat drama.  Mark your calendars because it will be shown on PBS on November 10.  SEE IT.

AN ORDINARY FAMILY: A dramedy about two brothers (one straight, one gay) driven apart by their opposing world views, An Ordinary Family introduces us to the adult children of the Biederman family as they come together for their annual vacation to relax and dig up unresolved issues.

This is a lovely, subtle film that perfectly captures the intimacy, humor, and complexities of family dynamics.  It is anchored by deliberate yet unobtrusive direction (kudos to director Mike Akel!) and some very genuine, engaging performances.  I hope this earnest feature continues to find success on the film festival circuit and beyond.  And I’m glad I got to see it with my friend, Kevin!  Thanks for joining me, Kev!

Okay, time to get to tonight’s screenings!

NEXT UP: The Second Half of the Los Angeles Film Festival

It’s like Christmas in June for me because the Los Angeles Film Festival is here!  Ten days of fine indie films.  And since I am <ahem> self-employed, I get the luxury of seeing LOTS of them.

Movie Madness

I kicked things off last night with the movie DRIVE starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.  It was a fantastic, explosive film in which Gosling plays a Los Angeles stunt man who earns extra cash on the side by driving getaway cars for robberies.  Of course, in falling for his lovely, married neighbor, played by Carey Mulligan, he finds himself involved in a heist that goes terribly awry.

Did I mention that the film is violent?  Incredibly violent.  Yeah, I never thought about what crushing a skull actually sounds like until I saw this movie.  But the film is anchored by Ryan Gosling’s stoic, nuanced performance – his is the type of X-factor talent and charisma that catapults him far above most actors his age.  And he is surrounded by an incredible supporting cast: Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman, and Albert Brooks.

X Marks the Spot

Of course, Nicolas Winding Refn certainly deserved the Best Director he received last month at the Cannes Film Festival.  Technically, the film is staggeringly solid – Refn can both capture the excitement and scope of a car chase through downtown Los Angeles along with the intimate, heartbreaking looks of longing between Gosling and Mulligan.  Another bold choice Refn made was in the ever-prominent soundtrack and sound design.  The film’s composer, Cliff Martinez, opts for an intesnse, moody electronic score that had me flashing back to Tangerine Dream circa Risky Business.  And the amped up bursts of rubber on pavement and rumbling engines reverberated through my rib cage at points. (Thumbs up to the sound system at the Regal Cinema theater where the film was screened, too.  As my beloved Keanu would say, “Whoa!”)

"Yes, I heard that."

I’m dying to know the budget on this “independent film” because given the scope of the camera work, especially during those downtown LA chase sequences, I will be amazed if it fell under $20M.  In any case, kudos to the cast and crew who collaborated to create such an eye-popping, entertaining piece of cinema.  What a great way to start the Los Angeles Film Festival!

Oops, time to get to another screening!

NEXT UP: Movies!  Movies!  And MORE Movies!

As I await my flight back to La-La land, I figured I’d offer up a few of my not-so-deep reflections on this little sojourn to the Sunshine State:

1) To Dr. Weil of Origins Skincare: Your “Night Health” face cream is, indeed, “skin-building”…that is, if you want your skin to explode like a red, blistery blowfish, which is what my face experienced my first night in Florida.  Luckily, a much cuter doctor, Dr. Mark, injected me with steroids and my visage returned back to its normal, unpuffy, growing-old-gracefully self.

Don't let that daisy deceive you...it's the face cream of the DEVIL!!!

2) To the person who now has my driver license in their possession: Yes, I stupidly lost it somehow at the Clearwater Mall.  Maybe you were able to hit a fun nightclub in Tampa Bay while passing as a 42-year-old woman from SoCal?  If so, I hope you had a blast.  Please don’t steal my identity.  Unless you can raise money for Beneath the Surface.  Then go for it.

3) To Reynolds and Eleanor Morse: Thanks for supporting Salvador Dali.  Benefactors like you give artists like him total freedom to create.  It’s a financial gesture that winds up being a greater gift than you probably even expected because now the whole world benefits from it.  Worth every penny.

Dali's Angel Investors

4) To Eddy Val: Although a lovely storyteller has left us, the legacy of his narrative talents live on through *you*.  You’re in my thoughts.

5) To Myself: You could have gotten more writing done, Lady.  So take advantage of the four-and-a-half hour plane ride ahead.  If not now, WHEN?

My Office in the Sky

5) To my host: The generosity of your heart is what will continue to keep it strong.  I’m glad we got to hang out together – and you even let me stay after my Mavericks beat your Heat!  Now that’s cardiacal fortitude!

6) To the alligator that’s a resident of the neighborhood I power-walked through every day: Thanks for not making an appearance.  Really.  I mean it.

Yeah, I'm fine with us never crossing paths...

Adios, Sunshine State!  Thanks for the memories.

NEXT UP: For Realz – THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL!!!

While the primary purpose of this Florida visit is to don my Florence Nightingale cap, my beloved “patient” here is doing remarkably well so we ventured over to St. Petersburg yesterday to check out the Salvador Dali museum.  I have to say it is one of the most impressive collections I’ve ever seen.  The museum itself was recently renovated and it’s a sleek and stylish space that serves the artwork well.

One Dali Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Florida

As I try to stay centered during my own creative Sabbatical now that I’m six months into it, I find it refreshing to witness the prolific portfolio of such a fascinating artist.  The museum features work that began during Dali’s teenage years and spanned over decades.  It’s interesting to see the influences of Dali’s early paintings (the French impressionists, Vermeer, Picasso) and how his style evolved into something truly unique and special.  There’s a precision to his technique that’s staggering – I had to peer closely at some pieces just to confirm that they were created with brush strokes and weren’t actual photographs; that’s how real they appeared.  I realize a lot of people probably find Dali’s work disturbing and weird, and some of it definitely is, but I admire the context in which it emerged.  No one else was doing what he did when he first did it.

Girl with Curls, Created in 1926 at Age 22

I get pretty awe-struck studying paintings that incorporate so many layers of symbolism in them.  One of Dali’s paintings that I really loved was Portrait of My Dead Brother (c. 1963).  Those Lichtenstein-esque dots you see are actually light and dark cherries that represent both Dali and his older brother, also named Salvador, who died tragically before Dali was born.  I love how the cherries create the larger face of his brother – along with the bird that emerges in the upper left corner.  So many of Dali’s works are like this – pictures within pictures, meaning within meaning.  That’s a mental bandwidth I can’t even begin to tap into.

"My brother and I resembled each other like two drops of water, but we had different reflections."

In the late forties and early fifties, Dali became intrigued with the theories of atomic energy and began incorpoating them into his art.  One of these pieces is The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory (c. 1952-54), which is a throw-back to one of his earlier and more popular pieces showcasing those recognizable melting watches.  I was listening to the audio tour while studying the painting and I was deeply impacted by the narrator’s recounting of Dali’s theories on time (I did my best to jot it down, but I can’t attest to it’s total accuracy):

We used to think that the world we lived in was the element of time.  It was time that limited us and gave us our character.  But it’s not.  It’s space.  We are individuals that can go anywhere we want and travel imaginatively.  And time doesn’t restrict us.

I love that philosophy of “traveling imaginatively” and I will find comfort in that idea during those moments when I feel pressured by a perceived ticking clock.  We have more freedom than we sometimes realize.

NEXT UP: Final Thoughts on Florida

As my gypsy life would have it, I have made an unexpected trip to Florida.  One benefit of being self-employed with a mobile office is that I can do my work from anywhere.  And, luckily, I have a very flexible boss. (She makes a pretty good martini, too!)  I’m also grateful that good old Mr. JJ is house and pet sitting for me.  I just hope he’s not making too much noise while watching the Mavericks-Heat playoffs – I have new neighbors to consider now.

Please remember to feed us during halftime, Mr. JJ!

I figure I will take advantage of my low-key time here and give some attention to creative pursuits.  I have scripts to read that friends have passed along to me and I also want to focus on my own writing.  My coming-of-age monster movie needs another pass (thanks to notes received by my Gotham Writers’ Workshop classmates and VPs Barb and John) and I also have another script that I’m this close to finishing.  I really have no excuse not to work on this stuff since my days here are pretty mellow and absent of the usual SoCal amusements: friends, pets, Blu-Ray, etc.

I do miss you, beloved Blu!

Let’s see how productive I am, shall we?

NEXT UP: Script Status

I was at the vet today to bring my cat in for her mani-pedi.  I prefer to remain on good terms with my feline, Sophia, which is why I leave her nail trimming to the professionals.  As I was at the front desk settling the bill for her mini-spa treatment, a woman came in holding a fluffy white dog wrapped in a blanket.  There was an intensity about her and one of the technicians behind the desk picked up on it and immediately attended to her.  The woman said she was there to put the dog to sleep.

<GULP!>

I could feel my chest tighten.  My throat constricted.  The tears began to well up.  Oh God…it’s that inevitable heartbreak that comes with being a pet owner.  I was instantly overwhelmed with sadness for this woman and her dog.

The technician directed the woman to take a seat while they pulled together a room in the back.  I stole a few glances at this tearful lady cradling her dog – our eyes never met, but I so wanted to express my sympathies.

Meanwhile, another pet owner came into the reception room.  She had been in the back where the vets see their patients – no doubt, she had an animal who was being treated.  She exchanged a few words with one of the staff before taking a seat in the reception area.  At some point, she must have noticed the distressed woman and her dog.  Suddenly she went over to where the woman was sitting and sat down next to her, putting her arm around the woman.  It was clear that these two ladies had never met, which made this lovely gesture of compassion all the more moving and poignant.  They talked a bit until a technician arrived to bring the woman and her dog to the back.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  -Aesop

I’m going to save my blathering about the LA Film Festival for a future post.  Instead, I thought I’d blog about the recently-released film Bridesmaids.  I saw it this past weekend with much anticipation.  The film has received a lot of buzz.  Some have dubbed it the female version of The Hangover.  A few study it as a critical litmus test on whether female-centered comedies can make money at the box office.  Others see it as a renewed lightening rod for the inane “Are Women Funny?” debate. (Good God, you’d think after Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore, Gilda Radner, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and countless other successful funny ladies that talking point would be meaningless now.  But I have ovaries so what do I know?)

Who Indeed?

I must admit that I was leery about the ad campaign for Bridesmaids.  Frankly, I didn’t want it to be a Hangover for women.  More specifically, I didn’t want it to rely solely on stupid, scatological humor to prove that it could play in the same sand box as the boys.  To me, the best comedies (whether they feature a male or female protagonist) provide a healthy dose of intelligence and heart along with physical humor and sight gags.  I think that’s why Tootsie is considered one of the greatest comedies on film – and rightly so!

Fortunately, Bridesmaids was not a raunch-fest estrogen style.  In fact, I wonder if some film goers will feel the ad campaign served up a bait & switch on them since a few of the bawdier moments shown in the trailer don’t even appear in the final product.  Rather, the film does a surprisingly effective job of capturing adult female friendships and the unique intimacy and occasional insecurities that can define them.  Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, playing two best friends, interact like real women.  They’re funny and insightful and petty and insecure.  The supporting cast is just as well-rounded – especially the amazing Melissa McCarthy as the sister of the groom.  Every scene she was in was better because of her.

Melissa McCarthy = Stealer of Scenes

And the other refreshing thing about the talented cast is that they also look like real women.  What a rarity to see a few lines on the face versus the over-botoxed masks that adorn most movie screens these days.  Hey, if manchildren like Seth Rogen and Jason Segel can be accepted as leading men, then why not these smart, attractive ladies?

I’m not saying the film is perfect.  A few scenes overstay their welcome (in the name of comedy, I presume) which makes for uneven pacing throughout.  And like most movies within the Judd Apatow wheelhouse at least fifteen minutes could have been trimmed out of it.  But overall I applaud Bridesmaids for representing women in a genuine, highly entertaining way – flaws and funniness and all.  I’d take this movie any day over 27 Ugly Borrowed No Strings Love!  Or Sex and the City 2.

Still not forgiven, Ladies...

NEXT UP: Still thinking about it…

The “Mission Accomplished” title of my last post may have created some initial false hope.  While I thought I was being cheeky in expressing my relief at completing Script Frenzy given the recent world events, that heading would have been far more satisfying had it been followed by a post stating, “YES!  The funds for Beneath the Surface have been raised.  Let’s get those cameras rolling.”

"And...ACTION!"

Of course, that is not the case.  In fact, I just returned from yet another trip to America’s Dairyland to seek potential investors.  People with money have typically worked very hard to earn that money.  These are smart, ambitious, motivated men and women who are also very selective about where they place their discretionary funds.  Many of these captains of industry have established their own foundations supporting causes that are near and dear to them.  Convincing them to relinquish some of their capital to invest in my dream is not an easy sell – no matter how committed I am to bringing them a return.

Yet, what I find most encouraging are the angels who continue leading me to the potential angel investors.  One of my most helpful advocates is actually my former middle school principal –  he has been nothing but supportive and enthusiastic regarding my filmmaking adventure.  During this last trip I also met a local artist who tapped right into the excitement and angst that comes with raising money in the name of art.  As she and I talked about films and creativity and life, I realized that this expedition is bringing some very talented and exceptional human beings into my life.  That’s cool.

I knew this road was not a conventional one and I’m probably going to be on it for longer than I thought.  I may also have to consider alternate routes to take in order to reach my final destination.  Yes, I’m being a bit vague with all of these traveling metaphors, but I do have some other possibilities in the works that could ultimately fulfill my goal to make movies and bring more filmmaking to Wisconsin.  The important thing is to keep moving forward.  And appreciate the incredible people who are there to help.

"The road to success is always under construction." - Lily Tomlin

In any case, THE MISSION CONTINUES!

NEXT UP: The Los Angeles Film Festival is coming!