....Alas...

There was no happy Disney ending for my bird friend.

What Do I Do?

Alright here is the situation!
Last night I found a healthy bird in my pool under a plank I left in there so some kittens could crawl out.

Now this bird is full grown, doesn't appear to have a broken wing or broken leg or anything like that. The bird isn't favoring any thing or appear to be damaged in any way.

But it won't fly.

I kept it in a cage last night in the house and gave it some seeds and water...well not really seeds. I scraped some whole grains off the top of a loaf of bread but it is as close to getting it something to eat as I could.

I thought maybe the bird had been overcome with the heat from yesterday and just couldn't fly out of the relatively shallow empty pool for some reason. So I picked it up and brought it inside to cool it off. Now it is the next morning and he still won't fly away.

It will barely walk but he seems content to just sit there and look around. It is cool outside right now and there are a lot of birds in my yard so I'm going to leave it out there and hope it gets the idea and has the Disney ending and flys home!

Indie Film Conference Today....Sort Of

Well it had promise anyway.

There was a conference in a nearby city that three of us attended. I can say that I enjoyed the makeup guy they had and the actor they had who is a regular in CSI: Miami.

Everyone else seemed to either be in over their heads or were trailing my knowledge. The distribution guy was thrilled that he had gone to Tower Records and they had agreed to put a project on their shelves even though there really isn't a finished product yet....and so the day went.

I was happy about lunch though which was good. I had a honey BBQ'd sirloin steak with grilled peppers and mushrooms...with a side of fries and a desert.

The other highlight was seeing Land of the Dead. It also had promise but I found myself wondering why in this futuristic society with the DEAD ACTUALLY ROAMING THE STREETS that having a lot of money was a big deal?!?! I did like the idea of someone rebuilding a secure society inside a building and trying to make believe that everything was everything again. I found the concept very good in that weird ironic/sarcastic way.

I just wish that someone would decide to make a scary movie again instead of relying on gore effects as a crutch to make up for a weak story or to gloss over plot holes so big you could drive the Dead Reckoning though.

Here is the basic premise of nearly every scary movie I've attended lately....come up with promising plot. Spend too much on effects while forgetting to add any tension to get the audience involved and when you remember that the audience might be bored...WHAM! You throw some fake blood in their direction or have a cat jumping out of the closet scare...then tack on some stupid ending like in Hide and Seek.

Now for Locker news. I have contacted a local production company to finish it with me. To add the credits and get it into a format I can duplicate. They were going to have a meeting this past week and contact me when they could schedule me in...they have yet to contact me. So I'll attempt to call them next week and see if they want to work with me. If not it is onto yet another plan B.

Yes and I am writing a new project which will either be very innovative or fail so big that it might turn some heads! More on that in the coming months!

Irrational Fears

I probably have one of the most irrational fears of all time. At first it may not seem like it but after I explain my weird logic I think you might be able to understand a bit more.

My irrational fear is that after I die my body won't be discovered for a long time. Why is it irrational? Naturally because after you die, what do you care anymore? It's over and time to see what is next, on to bigger and better things!

Well here is my logic on the matter. I am more afraid of what it implies has happened to me before death. Think about it for a second, my irrational fear is that my body won't be discovered meaning that:
1. I have outlived everyone that cares about me or I care about. (I dread this one the second most)
2. Have ticked off all of the people I did know and care about to the point where they have left me.
3. Fade away and become so emotionally disconnected that everyone forgets I even existed. (I dread this one the most)

What does this exactly mean?

Does it mean that if you don't have someone around you that you don't exist?

Does it represent that no one is an island and everyone somewhere, somehow has a connection to someone, somehow?

That your actions now matter how small or mundane has a action or reaction that creates a connection to others?

So if any of those questions are affirmative in the least degree then to what point is everyone connected but not realize the effect they have on others? If someone disconnects themselves is that an act of self centeredness knowing they might play a role in helping someone else? Do you have a responsibility to your fellow human being?

Dying alone is something everyone faces no matter how many people are surrounding you and no matter how much they care about you. Being discovered afterwards or not is what really defines the kind of life you have lead.

A Sock In My Sleeve

So there I was, early morning and I felt pretty good! I was showered, dressed and out the door...things were going well!!!

I get to the quick shop where I get coffee and then a guy who works where I work comes up behind me and I feel a tugging on my shirt. Allow me to elaborate my confusion here...I usually wear two shirts, a t-shirt with a work shirt over the top of it so I can use the pockets. Well this guy is generally a cocky type of person and we might nod to each other in the halls and rarely talk. Which is fine, I don't bother anyone and I'd like the same to happen to me:)

So I feel this tugging and I turn around with a quizzical look and look at him in the eyes, not a intimidating look but a "What are you doing" look when he holds up a sock he had just pulled from between my shirts that was hanging out of my sleeve!

I know there is a metaphor here. Let me see if I can explain it as well. I try not to be a confrontational person anymore. Sometimes it is necessary but if I can talk I'm happier and I don't get that sick feeling inside after being physical with someone. That morning I was almost at that point for no reason.

I was clueless as to what was going on and someone was trying to help me. I was so wrapped up with something else that I didn't see the help that was being offered. Like when friends tell you something but it just never clicks for some reason. Something never connects in your mind and when it does and that light comes on you suddenly see things from a different angle and it makes sense!!!

Despite how foolish you might have been before and how wrapped up in something else you might have been and just couldn't see the beauty of the forrest because of all of those pesky trees, that is when you need to step back and evaluate your situation and see what your friends are telling you. I learned a pretty good lesson because someone was trying to help me when I thought he was....well I don't know what he was doing but that is kind of the point of turing around in the first place! hahaha!!!

Now on to the filmmaking parts! I am looking into hiring an editor to finish Locker.
More on that when I get an estimate to see if I'm going to do it or not!

Outbid Again!

But not to worry, we shall get our camera sooner or later!!
Again, time is on our side for this!!

Had a good conversation with Chris last night at a local coffee shop.
The best part is when we started to discuss the kind of movie we would like to see. I honestly want to create a good story that anyone can see. I immediately brought up The Straight Story as my template of what I would like to do.

A good story, no profanity, no violence, and touching characters that anyone can relate to. If I could either get a hold of that kind of script or if I could coax my fingers to type that kind of script!!! Wow!!!

Anyway, time to find another camera and place a bid!!!

A New Bid

I have placed a bid on a XL1s this morning. If I can get it for the price I bid, it will be a huge savings!! It is only a basic package but if this price holds up then there will be plenty of money left over to add whatever I wish to it!

It ends tomorrow so we shall see what happens!!!

This is some exciting stuff!!!

Now I also saw a movie that has everything I love about movies in it! It wasn't a GREAT movie but it was very solid and very entertaining! The Machinist.

To sum it up, a man has had insomnia for over a year. It is a mystery that starts when Trevor Reznik starts to see some strange things from his lack of sleep. Since I hate spoiling a movie for people that is about all I can say about it. There are several layers of mystery here that really pay off in the end:)

Very good!

NO Camera....Yet

I was out bid on the camera I was hoping to purchase...by 26 dollars!!!

Such is life, the other one I was eyeing was sold on a buy it now which was more than I really wanted to pay since it had little else than a camera with it.

I know there will be a great deal coming up and with nothing big planned right now other than some reshoots...time is on my side!!!

I have a budget planned out so that I'll be able to pay cash when the right camera deal comes up and if it doesn't before we are going to shoot our next big project...well I'll have some money to sink into the actual production!!!

It's a no lose situation!!!

How About A Film Update This Time???

Alright film fans, here is the latest! The editing is not done!!! Woohoooo!!!

Wait....that isn't exactly what I wanted to tell you all, I'm on the verge of purchasing another XL1s. I have a bid on one cam with another in the wings if this one fails.

A two camera set up will help SO MUCH with filming it is unreal!!! My shot selection problems of variety that I had in Locker will be long gone, we will have a back up of any shot we do, AND it will take about half the time to film something which will make things faster on us and our actors!!!

I have kicked it around quite a bit and have come to the conclusion that another camera is what us as a group really need to continue right now. Well other than a full time staff of script writers to give us the material to shoot.

Yes another camera is what is really needed to do a much higher quality of job!

And yes when I find the right deal we will have it!!!