Today I attended a Cinema Language seminar, which was offered through the “No Budget Film School” based here in LA.  The facilitator of the seminar was a guy named Tom Provost.  Tom’s worn a lot of hats in Hollywood – actor, editor, producer…to name a few.  He also wrote the film Under Suspicion (Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman) and he recently wrote and directed a movie called The Presence, starring Mira Sorvino, Shane West, and Justin Kirk.  In addition to his many talents, Tom is also a darn good instructor.

Tom Provost = The Rosetta Stone of Cinema Language

The first half of the day was dedicated to analyzing clips of well-known films.  Tom’s class is a good 101 on the basics of on-the-set jargon, but he also did a great job of explaining why certain creative choices can be so effective in keeping the audience “leaning forward” as he puts it.  I absolutely love this kind of discourse – discussing how a filmmaker can engage or challenge an audience, whether through shot composition, color, the way information is disclosed, etc.  (And in the best of films all of the above is considered.)  It’s important for me to start thinking about these choices and how they can be applied to Beneath the Surface.

Tom cited examples from many of my favorite films, including one of the all-time cinematic stunners The Godfather.  How do you not get chills when you FADE IN to the close-up of the funeral director Bonasera explaining why he seeks justice?  As Tom pointed out, what’s so effective about the film’s opening scene is that it takes a little while for the audience to get oriented.  We’re not sure where we are (thanks to “prince of darkness” cinematographer Gordon Willis), but we remain captivated as the camera slowly pulls back during Bonasera’s anguished story about his daughter’s brutal beating.  Finally the shot settles just behind the silhouette of the man who’s been listening to his appeal.  The man?  Vito Corleone, of course!

What's that about an offer I can't refuse?

But what really impressed me about today’s seminar is that the afternoon was spent analyzing Tom’s upcoming independent film The Presence.  When we returned from lunch, Tom screened his movie for our roomful of working and aspiring filmmakers and then opened himself up to some honest feedback and analysis.  I respect his bravery in doing this because Los Angeles audiences – specifically film-focused Los Angeles audiences – can be tough.  Thankfully, our group was positive and respectful while also making some thoughtful and pointed observations.   Tom was a great champ about it all and it was clear that he’s very proud of his film.  He should be.  He did it!

Tom spoke, too, of the pressure involved in financing and heading up an independent film production.  When asked to offer a main piece of advice to his fellow-filmmakers, Tom replied, “Always maintain a calm air of confidence.”  Yes, even when you feel panic inside (which is pretty much all the time, according to Tom) you have to remember that you’re setting the tone for the entire production team.

Never let 'em see you sweat!

So, I’ll try to remember that when I find myself wide awake at five in the morning after an already restless night of sleep. (Um…not that that happened about sixteen hours ago or anything.)  Yep, I guess the flashes of total freakout are natural…and I should probably get used to them.  But I’ll also do my best to talk myself off the ledge when those moments rear their terror-inducing head.  After all, my secret is safe with you, right dear readers? <wink, wink>

NEXT UP: I’m back to America’s Dairyland for Labor Day Weekend!  Time to start laying some Deliberate foundation.

I thought I’d keep the movie poster conversation going a little while longer since there are so many great examples out there.   So, if you’ll indulge me, I’m going to share some of my favorites.  Please feel free to mention yours!

I'm seeing spots!

I LOVE THIS POSTER!  Of course it would have to be foreign (it’s designed by Liliana Baczewska and was used to advertise 101 Dalmatians in Poland) because I just can’t picture it getting the “thumbs up” from an American marketing department.  Too abstract.  Too different.  Too…um…not Disney.  Way to go, Polish publicity unit!

Team Jet or Team Shark? Team Bass!

Okay, I’ve already expressed my adoration for Saul Bass.  And I’m probably partial to this poster because I love love love the film.  West Side Story is my all-time favorite musical because when I was but a wee Deirdre it was the first musical that sparked my interest and eventual foray into the world of theatre.  You have to admit, this poster is pretty amazing.  Its simple-yet-strong imagery pulls in the key aspects of the story and how it’s told – the dynamic movement of the star-crossed lovers (courtesy of Jerome Robbins) set against the grittiness of the urban locale.  Yep.  Love it.

Oh la la!

This is a Cuban poster for a French film.   The film is Francois Truffaut’s Baisers Voles (translation: stolen kisses).  The poster designer is Cardenas Rene Azcuy.  I’ve never seen the movie, but this simple, sexy image makes me want to.

"The horror...the horror..."

Bold, monochromatic color scheme.  Key set pieces from the film – the helicopters on their “Ride of the Valkyries,” the rudderless insanity of the Dulong bridge, the face of our “hero” Willard (aka: Martin Sheen) in half-light, half-darkness…a reflection of his inner struggle?  And, of course, BRANDO.   Awesome.

Please don't sue me for posting this, George Lucas!

The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite of the trilogy (note how I’m not even counting the most recent three disappointments in my assessment?) and I love how this image is a throwback to the star-studded melodramas of the forties and fifties.  It firmly establishes everyone’s role in this particular chapter of this particular universe.  The villain Darth Vadar looms large in the background.  Han Solo and Princess Leia figure prominently in their too-hot-for-Tatooine pose since this is the point when their romance really blossoms. (Oh, Harrison…I think you introduced me to my libido!  What. A. Man.)  Luke Skywalker is smaller in scale but still smack in the center of it all.  And the supporting characters (Chewy, C-3PO, and R2-D2) still get their small plot of real estate below everyone.  The Gone with the Wind of space soap operas, indeed!

Feel the Keanu's energy...

Hey!  How did this get here?

WHOA!

Uh oh…my computer must be acting up.

NEXT UP: I’m attending a seminar on Sunday called Cinema Language.  Let’s see how fluent I am by the end of it!

Now that Deliberate Productions is an official company (or so says the state of California), I need to figure out the identity of this production company.  Sure the plan is to create heartbreaking works of staggering genius, but how do I encapsulate that in a fun and cheeky logo?  That’s why a guy like Shawn Hazen is essential.

Repeat: Shawn Hazen = Essential

I dipped into that big ol’ jar of personal connections (we all own one!) and through my cousin, Craig, I came to know one of his old chums and fellow super-talents, Shawn.   Deliberate’s Marketing Veep Barbara also deserves major credit for bringing Shawn into my world because she’s enlisted his design services on behalf of the company that actually pays her a check for her hard work while I’m currently compensating her in promised future martinis.

"Thanks for all the hard work, Babs!"

Shawn Hazen is a Chicago-based graphic designer and he’s going to give this here website an overhaul in the upcoming weeks. (Thanks for setting up this temporary bloggy, though, Shawn!)  Yes, soon Deliberate Productions will have an identity – its own cool Hazen-created logo that will be emblazoned across stationary, business cards, coffee mugs, baseball caps, glow sticks, Snuggies – pretty much any semi-tasteful item that I can brazenly market. (Can you guess what gifties friends and loved ones will be receiving from me come holiday time?)

I think the design below is a good example of why I was determined to work with Shawn. (I apologize in advance for those easily offended…)

(...but...um...yeah, you *are* easily offended because this is HILARIOUS!)

Shawn and I are also talking about creating a poster for Beneath the Surface.  Well, I do lots of talking and Shawn does all the creating.  This has me really excited, though!  The whole point of joining the social networking revolution is to raise awareness early, but it helps to have actual images with which to raise awareness, right?

I looked through a great coffee table-type book, A Century of Movie Posters (thanks again for the loaner, Kev), and gave Shawn my thoughts on why certain film posters resonate with me.  As luck would have it, Shawn and I experienced a true melding of the creative minds.  Our general conclusion: Saul Bass is a graphic designing God.

I. Worship. Saul. Bass.

The strength and simplicity of Bass’s designs are what appeal to me.  I appreciate that whatever central image he chooses has strong thematic ties to the film.  Yet it’s just graphic enough that the viewer has to give it a little extra thought and consideration.  The book sums it up better than I can: “When developing identities for films, in each case Bass attempted to find a strong graphic symbol that would act as a summary of the plot.  He maintained the modernist belief that it is possible to strip away layers of complexity and arrive at a single visual essence.”

Of course, hypothetically speaking, once a film distributor gets ahold of Beneath the Surface (and, subsequently, the marketing of the film) and assuming I’ve been fortunate enough to attract any “name” talent in the lead roles, you can bet the distributor will have those recognizable faces plastered all over their version of the poster.

Have we forgotten anyone?

But, in the meantime, Shawn can design some iconic imagery early on and perhaps create what will one day be the exclusive collector’s edition of the Beneath the Surface film poster.

I encourage you to look over Shawn’s work (linked for your convenience on this very blog under “Cool Graphic Stuff”) and you’ll understand why I’m all the more energized to see what cleverness he creates for Deliberate in the upcoming weeks.  Go, Shawn, Go!

NEXT UP: I’m not doing a very good job of predicting my future blog posts – seems I’m pulling the unintended bait ‘n’ switch more often than not.  So let’s just keep the future open for now…

So I got some good news last week.  No, an anonymous film-loving patron of the arts did not park a Brink’s truck in my newly-painted garage. (By the way, thanks for the beautiful paint job, Sergio!  The garage is now my favorite room in the condo.)  And I’m afraid Keanu didn’t appear on my doorstep with a bouquet of tulips, demanding to become Mr. Deirdre.   Nor did my cat choose to lounge on the sofa each morning rather than deep inside the kitchen cabinet because she still thought I was dragging her to the kitty kennel for the day.

I hate the kitty kennel!

No, the good news came via a couple of degrees of separation from Hubbell Gardner.

In 1981, a guy you may have heard of – Robert Redford – founded the Sundance Institute (and, subsequently, the Sundance Film Festival).  According to the official website: The Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences.  Through its program, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work.

Well, Sundance offers a week-long Screenwriters lab as part of their program.  Approximately twelve lucky writers are chosen to participate in this lab every January.  They’re flown to Park City, Utah, where they get the chance to workshop their scripts with various industry professionals.  Among the former lab alumni are Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream), Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will be Blood), and Tamara Jenkins (The Savages).

Yes, I applied to the Sundance Screenwriters lab.  On April 22, 2010.  Mere days after I made my decision to embark on this low-budget filmmaking adventure.

In fact, I got the idea to apply for the lab while listening to a Creative Screenwriting podcast interview with Tamara Jenkins.  I’m a big fan of her film The Savages, starring Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  It’s a painfully funny movie that highlights the complexities of family dynamics in an honest and thoughtful way.  And for you screenwriters out there, I strongly recommend you check out the Creative Screenwriting podcasts.  Each one features a Q & A between Creative Screenwriting Magazine Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith and a screenwriter.  Oh yeah, and they’re FREE on iTunes!  In addition to the interview with Jenkins (where she talked about her experience at Sundance), some of my favorite podcasts include Christopher McQuarrie (Valkyrie), Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), and Scott Neustadter (co-writer on 500 Days of Summer).  I’m serious, Writers – check it out! (Did I mention they’re FREE?!?)

We're only mildly dysfunctional, right?

Now I realize this is probably the exciting bloggy moment where you scroll down in anticipation before I tell you that Robert Redford personally called me to invite me to take part in his highly-respected lab.

Um…no…that didn’t happen.  BUT…

I am in the running!  Yes, I made it to the second/final round.   And while I know I’m up against a big bunch of amazing writers from all over the world, it’s still kind of cool to dream about cozying up to a mentor like John August next January. (Hey, it’s cold in Park City in January!  “Cozying “will be in order.)

Can you please make me a hot toddy, John August?

I realize that come mid-December I may be submitting the tear-stained blog post entitled “Who Needs Sundance Anyway?” However, in the spirit of transparency, I figured I should share any and all professional developments that may somehow help me/us achieve this goal of making an independent film.

Besides, my mother adores Robert Redford.  And for those of you who know the formidable presence that is MARCIA, why wouldn’t I want to make her a happy Mama?

Hubba Hubbell!

NEXT UP: Maybe a movie review?  I have a pile of DVDs awaiting my attention.  And, good God, am I the last person on earth who still needs to see Inception?

I fully committed to the idea of starting a production company on the morning of Sunday, April 18^th, 2010.  I was lying in bed in my childhood room, having come home to attend the Wisconsin Film Festival, and I was ruminating about the overall experience.  The night before I had gone to a festival party with the Lobit Sisters (of The Things We Carry fame) and was completely energized by it.   It was so invigorating to be surrounded by creative, like-minded people who all shared a love of cinema.   I knew it was time for me to finally go for it and realize my lifelong ambition.  I thought to myself, “I’m going to make a movie.”

I guess the bedroom of my youth was an appropriate location to have this epiphany considering all of the Hollywood daydreaming I’d done there as a kid – not to mention the many Oscar acceptance speeches practiced in front of an audience of devoted stuffed animals.  The fantasy date to these imaginary Academy Awards?  My still-favorite guilty pleasure: Keanu Reeves.  Funny how that fantasy hasn’t really changed.  Is that gorgeous man ageless or what?  And he cleans up so nicely…

"Deirdre, if you don't allow me the honor of escorting you to the Oscars I will be forced to make another film written by that Shakespeare guy."

Uh oh…am I digressing again?

Anyway, in formulating this grandiose movie-making scheme of mine, I knew that this would be a group effort.  As Successories tells us, “There is no ‘I’ in ‘TEAM’” and I clearly needed a team.  So I looked to my immediate circle and realized that despite the fact that my last name isn’t Eisner, I have a wealth of knowledgeable resources readily available to me.

Therefore, I bring you some of the preliminary members of TEAM DELIBERATE!

DAD

Executive Producer/All-Knowing Obi Wan Kenobi-like figure

You *will* pay back your investors.

Dad’s the guy who’s going to help me locate the money people.  It’s still up to me to convince the money people that a low-budget film is a terrific investment to make in the middle of one of the worst economies since the Great Depression. But I’m grateful that dear old Dad might at least get some butts in the seats to listen to my pitch.  He’s always filled with sage advice and he makes a mean Manhattan!

SISTER BARBARA

(sister as in blood-relation, not habit-wearing convent-dweller)

Vice-President of Marketing

(Yes, I’m already doling out fancy-schmancy titles for a company that has yet to have its own stationary)

Got Message?

Barbara is my marketing/social-networking guru.  She’s the one who assessed my initial Facebook profile picture and convinced me to swap out the photo of my adorable dog, Lucy, and replace it with my own beleaguered mug.  (Seriously, that picture was taken during the holidays and I was probably operating on about three hours of sleep.)  Blame her.

BROTHER-IN-LAW JOHN

Full-Fledged Professional CFO (and Barb’s Husband)

You're gonna need a bigger bank!

I’ve anointed John the de facto CFO of Deliberate Productions. (I just ignore the fact that he hasn’t officially accepted the position.)  Our only roadblock: he doesn’t seem to appreciate my mantra, “You’ve got to spend money to make money.”  But I guess this is where art and commerce intersect for some lively and animated conversations. (Since John is British the conversations are all exceedingly polite, albeit through gritted teeth on his part.)

COUSIN JIMMY (aka: Mr. Awesome)

All-Around Bon Vivant

Care for a little "Sweet Melissa" with that lemonade?

I’ll probably invite Jimmy on set simply to keep spirits high and to sample from the craft services table.  When my nieces (ages 8 and 5) opened a lemonade stand over the 4^th of July weekend, Jimmy came out with a guitar and served up a storm of classic hits while the girls tried to peddle their citrusy concoction.  Jimmy’s convinced that his tribute to the Allman Brothers is what finally turned their business around.

FRIEND SHANNON

Wisconsin-based Sophisticated Lady

Is that a checkbook in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Shannon will serve as charming-yet-persuasive eye candy at various fund-raising cocktail parties.   Throw a mink stole on her (faux, of course) and she can play the role of Midwest Brewery heiress looking to be a patron of the cinematic arts.  The rest of the investors should quickly fall in line, right?

You will meet other members of the team because there are so many more who have pledged their support and assistance.  So those of you out there who might be feeling slighted that I neglected to mention you, please know that you are appreciated!  And not to worry – your time of blog humiliation is yet to come!

NEXT UP: What about Bob?

As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve always loved movie soundtracks.  As a teenager, my CD collection consisted of The Police and Depeche Mode, but also plenty of John Williams, John Barry, and Ennio Morricone.  When I’m moved by an incredible film, I like to re-experience it through the music.  We all have those special songs that take us back to a particular time or place.  And I think an effective soundtrack is as distinct to the tone of a film as color can be to a painting or language can be to a poem.  Film music done right finds the balance of supporting the emotional trajectory of a cinematic story without being obtrusive or glaringly manipulative.  I know there are those out there who like a soundtrack that consists of no soundtrack.  But me?  I like hearing those ominous strings reverberate when a shark lurks deep in the water.

So, it is with much pride that I get to introduce you all to the composer for Beneath the Surface…

GARY THOMAS!

Not really Gary Thomas

I met Gary through his wife Kirsten.  Kirsten is actually the first bona fide friend I made in LA when I came out here almost nineteen years ago.  We met when we both temped at an entertainment studio known for it’s high-pitched rodent emissary and ri-DONK-ulously profitable princess franchise.  Kirsten and I were employed (sans benefits) doing data entry in the Accounts Payable department, a dreary, bureaucracy-laden division of the company that seemed to be the place where dreams go to die.  As two idealistic twenty-somethings eager to take on Tinsel Town, we bonded instantly over our collective desire to find a new temp assignment.

Anyway, Kirsten eventually met a talented British trumpet player, Gary, and they got married.  The high point of their wedding reception was not my father initiating his infamous “circle dance” (a phenomenon that’s sure to be discussed in a future blog post), but when Gary pulled a Chet Baker and serenaded Kirsten with “This Guy’s in Love with You.”  Turns out, the Brit not only plays the horn – he can sing!

Not Gary either...this is Chet Baker

Gary and I sat down a couple of Sundays ago to talk film music.  I pulled out my iPod, settled it into a docking station, and proceeded to play various soundtrack cues that I find inspiring and evocative of the tone I’d like to create for Beneath the Surface.   We discussed the personalities of the various characters in the script and how they can be represented through music.  We talked about the scope of the overall sound and how it shouldn’t be big since the film is a small drama.  And we both agreed that Thomas Newman is a pretty awesome, versatile composer. (Newman soundtracks: The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, In the Bedroom…to name just a few.)

I worship great film scores!

I realize it may seem premature to be addressing music at this point.  Heck, you’re not supposed to worry about the film score until post-production, right?  There hasn’t been a frame of footage shot yet – in fact, I still need to raise the money to rent the cameras with which to shoot said footage!  But Gary is game to get involved now and he emphasized his commitment with an anecdote about a respected composer whom he recently met.

(Gary, I hope I do justice in my retelling of this story.)

Back in June, Gary attended a panel at the LA Film Festival that featured a group of prominent film composers.  One of the composers speaking was Argentine guitarist Gustavo Santaolalla – he composed and won the Oscar for his score for Brokeback Mountain.  Santaolalla actually brought his guitar to the panel and played some of his compositions for the audience.  He also relayed a story about how he provided Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee with various music cues that he composed after familiarizing himself with the short story and script – this was long before filming had begun.  Ang Lee was so moved by Santaolalla’s pieces, that he shared them with the cast, and soon Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Anne Hathaway were listening to the sparse, melancholy notes in between takes, and using the music as emotional inspiration for their work.

Cowboys in Love

Now, I’m obviously not going to try to force any preparation on an actor.  But it can’t hurt to have some emotional assistance on the ready, if welcomed.  And, at the very least, I know that Gary’s music will help me get my head around the visceral impact I want this story to have on the audience.  Gary not only appreciates music…he appreciates film.  And that’s why I know he’ll be a great collaborator on Beneath the Surface.

Thanks for being on the team, Gary!  Welcome!

NEXT UP: TEAM DELIBERATE!  Yes, there are other victims members…whether they like it or not!

My friend Shannon is coming into town next weekend.  I can’t wait!  Shannon is a near and dear friend – we met many martinis ago in a very unexpected way.  It’s a story that involves a canceled flight, a cranky Granny, and a box of Godiva chocolates that became our sole sustenance for an excruciatingly long bus ride.  Perhaps I’ll save the tale for a future blog post when I’m scrambling for material? (Could be any day now.)

Godiva Chocolates = Life Saver

Anyway, SHANNON IS COMING!  She arrives on Friday.  I’m picking her up at the airport late Friday afternoon and we’ll embark on one of our girlie weekends that typically includes five-hour dinners (hey, analyzing the male species takes some time!), shopping excursions where we dissuade one another from buying that perfect Ann Taylor Loft blouse (luckily, our powers of dissuasion are pretty weak), and plopping in front of the television for back-to-back episodes of Project Runway.   Tough work, indeed.

SHANNON!  FRIDAY!  CAN’T WAIT!

Except guess what?

Shannon isn’t coming on Friday.

She arrives on Sunday.

As in TODAY Sunday.

And I, her near and dear friend, was supposed to pick her up at Los Angeles International Airport.  And didn’t.

<SIGH>

Now those of you who live in LA know what a nightmare our airport, LAX, can be.  According to that unshakable resource Wikipedia, LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world.  THE WORLD.  And just getting to the airport involves navigating an albatross of typically congested freeways, none of which can really be considered a “scenic route” (unless you like lots of garbage and graffiti as part of your scenery).  But whenever I have a friend or family member flying into LAX, I do my darnedest to be at the airport when they arrive.  And I’m not talking just circling the terminal in my beloved Prius.  No, I wanna be standing by the security checkpoint area, ready to greet my guest into sunny & smoggy Southern California.  It’s a point of honor with me, people!

"I WILL find you!"

So imagine my horror when I finally looked at my phone late this afternoon to find about five messages waiting for me.  From Shannon.  Wondering where I was.  Starting to get worried.

Ball officially dropped.

Luckily, Shannon’s here on business and the hotel she’s staying at is about a mile away from LAX, so she just took a cab over to it.  And I am picking her up on Friday so we can hang out for our girl power weekend.  But I fear, dear readers, that this whole “start a production company/write up a business proposal/continue to function effectively at work/sell my condo” plan is starting to catch up with me…and my brain.

I can relate...

Hence, I will not be updating you about the talented guy who has agreed to compose the film score for Beneath the Surface.  I will save that for my next post when my head is (hopefully) screwed on a little straighter.

In the meantime, thanks for putting up with my random rants this week.  And happy one-month anniversary to all of us who are engaged in this blog!  I truly appreciate the often-hilarious comments that have been posted as well as those of you who just support the blog by reading it.   At least I’m lucid enough to recognize that!

NEXT UP: Music Man: Take 3.  It’s gonna finally happen!  Really…I mean it!

I was all set to post about my meeting this past Sunday with a hopeful/potential/I-think-he’s-gonna-score-it composer-friend of mine.  But then life decided to lob a big ol’ curveball in my direction.  And after the events of the last forty-eight hours, my artistic mission seems a little less significant at the moment.  So, I thought I’d use dear bloggy to ponder over some of the things I’ve recently discovered.

Let me preface this by stating that I was the advocate in the situation referred to below, not the patient.

And the aforementioned patient is doing okay now. (Big. Sigh. Of. Relief.)

Therefore, I bring you…

DELIBERATE’S DELIBERATIONS OF UNMISTAKEABLE

MEANING AND IMPORTANCE:

1)   Text message I never need to receive again: Time stamp: 3:59 a.m. Have been admitted to hospital will be here 24 hours waiting to go into the or in 30 min. Deirdre wipes sleep from eyes, convinced she misread her phone display.  <Beat> Um…WHAT THE EFF?!?!?

Surely I must be dreaming.

2)   Hospitals = Not terribly fun.  Even when they try to pass themselves off as a fancy hotel complete with valet parking and room service.  Yes, you read that correctly: valet parking and room service.  When did this happen?

You're not fooling me, Ritz-Carlton Hospital!

3)   I accept that bad things happen to good people…but must they keep happening?!?  C’mon, Universe, this is a really good person here!!!  Lighten up a little!

I'm still waiting for an answer Kushner...

4)   Nurses have to deal with a lot of crap, and I’m not just talking figuratively.  Treat them with respect.

Florence Nightingale = Ultimate Nurse!

5)   On the flip side, if your patient’s pain-medicating needs are not being met in a timely fashion, as evidenced by the fact that I pressed the friggin’ call button about ten minutes ago and NO ONE is showing up, then you will discover your inner Aurora Greenway.  I did.

DON'T mess with MacLaine!

So be sure to hug your partner/parents/pets/people extra tight tonight and every night, dear readers.  It’s great to have dreams, but the real joy comes in being able to share them.  And that’s why I am sooooooo thankful for all of you. (Okay, I know I’m getting sappy, but you’ve caught me at a weak moment.  I stand by the sentiment, though!)

NEXT UP: Music Man: Take 2?  I’m too exhausted to commit.

P.S. Try as I might to scale down the sizes of some of these inserted photos, I just can’t seem to make it stick.  Sorry.  I’ll figure out this WordPress stuff eventually. (Paging Shawn Hazen!  HELP!)

Oh, Baby!

I try not to be too precious about my writing.  Once a script is finished, I don’t cloister it away in a subterranean vault like some rare gem that only those with special iris-protecting goggles can bear witness to.  No, I like to get opinions on it.  I appreciate the feedback.  I need the feedback.  Now, I still want said feedback to be delivered in a kind and compassionate fashion.  Really, you don’t have to tell me that my script is a literary abomination that practically made your eyes bleed.  Believe me, when I receive comments like, “I didn’t find one misspelled word” or “Your margin spacing was an inspiration,” I pretty much figure that I’ve missed the emotional mark.

Luckily, I have a diverse group of trusted advisors upon whom I force bestow my scripts for their thoughts and suggestions.  I know some incredible writers and I also know some super-smart film-lovers (and then, of course, there are the highly-insightful parental/sibling/in-law units), so I feel like I get a good range of opinions.  It’s asking a lot for someone to carve out a couple of hours to read a random collection of exteriors and interiors, dialogue and description – if I’m going to make such a request, then I’m going to absorb the resulting observations.  I may not agree with all of them, but a fair amount will settle in and resonate.

Anyway, this is my long-winded way of describing an interesting piece of feedback I recently received on Beneath the Surface.  The feedback (and this came from a new source): I need to change the name of one of my main characters. (And, by domino effect, the last name of a few others.)

The sister in my script, JESSICA, is married to TOM BARRETT.  Now it should be noted that Jessica’s name changed a few drafts in.  She started out as Sarah (a name I love – and it will appear in a future script, mark my words), but I realized that I wanted her brother, Bud, to call her by a nickname.  I tend to bestow nicknames upon my nearest and dearest, so I thought Bud calling his sister by a nickname would further indicate their past relationship.  You know…the damaged past relationship that was being buried (here it comes) beneath the surface.  (See how deep this thing goes?!?) And Sarah doesn’t really lend itself to a nickname.   Plus, I was friends with a Jessie in school who was definitely rough around the edges, a total kick-ass, and completely intriguing to boys.   Yeah, goodbye, Sarah – hello, Jessica/Jessie.

So the Jessie in my script reinvents herself to become Jessica.  And she ends up marrying Tom Barrett.  Tom is a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy – he’s kind, he’s smart, he’s a successful photography professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

However, he’s not running for Governor of the state.

But this guy is:

Will the REAL Tom Barrett please stand up?

The TOM BARRETT above is the current mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  And you may remember hearing about him when he hit the national news scene after being attacked as he tried to break up a domestic dispute at the Wisconsin State Fair.

Yeah, the Tom Barrett above is a pretty cool – and brave! – guy.

And I’m on my way back to the drawing board…

What to name this key character?  Charles Foster Kane?  Michael Corleone?  Keyser Soze?

If y’all have any suggestions regarding the name change, I’m all ears!  (And thanks, Mr. T, for that valuable piece of feedback.  I owe ya one!)

NEXT UP: The Music Man

Buyers and Sellers and Escrow, Oh My!

Yeah, I’m moving.  The sign is up, the realtor caravans have started, and my morning ritual now includes cornering my petrified cat so I can bring her to the kitty kennel for the day.  It’s hectic – especially when the cat’s sixth sense kicks in and she finds solace under the dusty nether-regions of my bed – but I’m trying to rise to the challenge.  The fact is, by scaling down my lifestyle (so long, mortgage payments!) I’ll be able to better chase the dream.  Since my plan to win the lottery or find that 100-to-1 longshot at Santa Anita racetrack didn’t pan out, I’m going to need to gather money another way.  I thought about going the Diablo Cody route and become a “dancer” (hey, she did end up winning an Oscar), but I fear the state of my body would deter tips rather than encourage them.  I ain’t Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler, gang.

So, as I prepare to survive without employment next year in order to focus on filmmaking, I think about the next place the pets and I will call home.  I know I’d like to stay in my beloved Pasadena.  It would be nice if the new dwelling had a roof and four walls.   Is it too much to ask for central air and maybe a dishwasher?  While this checklist regarding my future abode swirls around in my head, it probably wasn’t a smart idea for me to do what I did last night.

At eleven o’clock, I found myself a bit wired and not quite ready to call it an evening.  So I crawled into bed with my laptop, plugged in my noise-cancellation headphones, and cozied up to this little gem:

Where's Zelda Rubenstein when you need her?!?

Paranormal Activity was made for $11K and it’s gone on to gross $183M. <WOWSERS!>  I went into the film thinking it would be an informative empirical study on successful low-budget filmmaking.  Which it was.

But it was also an empirical study on how to scare the BEJEESUS out of someone!

It’s a good thing I didn’t see this film in a theatre because I would have been coming out of my skin while inappropriately clutching the person next to me.  Granted, the movie owes a HUGE debt to The Blair Witch Project.  Like that faux documentary-style film, the premise centers around a young couple, Katie and Micah, who decide to chronicle the nightly weirdness that’s happening in their home by filming it while they sleep.   As the camera sits stationary on a tripod, focused on the slumbering couple, we in the audience endure the demonic presence lurking about.  Fun times.

Writer-Director Oren Peli made a lot of smart choices with Paranormal Activity, both economical and artistic.  The cast is small, it’s all shot in one location, and the immediacy of the “reality” filmmaking keeps the audience both active (when Katie or Micah operate the camera) and helplessly passive when we’re simply watching disturbing events unfold around the sleeping couple and can’t do a damn thing about it except clutch our pillow closer. (Oh…that may have been just me…)

However, I think the most effective element is the sound design employed in the film.  There’s something refreshing about a movie that doesn’t need music to generate the “you should start to feel dread now” cues. (And please keep in mind that I love and collect movie soundtracks.)  Whenever the demonic presence was…well…present, a low, static-like rumbling would emerge from the silence.  (Deirdre’s inner monologue: “Oh God.”)  Then comes the sound of footsteps on the creaking floor.  (“It’s just outside the door.” Deirdre clutches pillow to face while dog snoozing next to her continues dreaming about rawhide.)  THE DOOR SLAMS SHUT! (“HOLY CRAP!  Must. Catch. Breath.”  Deirdre wakes up now-annoyed dog and encourages her to snuggle closer.)  These noises helped the dread set in – music of a different sort.

Now I still don’t understand why Katie or Micah couldn’t turn on a friggin’ light once they were awakened by the terrifying sounds, and I know some people have had issues with the ending, but I still appreciate what Peli accomplishes with his very limited budget.  Paranormal Activity is a good reminder that compelling stories don’t have to come with a certain dollar amount attached.

And as long as my next living space doesn’t come with an evil presence, I think the pets and I will be okay.  Yeah, I’d even give up a dishwasher for a demon-less abode. (Not sure I can go without central air, though…)

NEXT UP: Let’s Just Wait & See! (Like how I’m building the suspense?)