Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Vacuity and Substance

"Never let 'em see you ache"; that's what Mr. Mayer always said. Or was it ass; "Never let 'em see your ass"?"
— Carrie Fisher


Every opportunity to fail is an opportunity to learn, to improve, so that next time you will not fail. Therefore there is no true failure, only valuable steps to take towards your success.

Taking a few lessons from Sun Tzu's The Art Of War. It's been translated in different words, Vacuity and Substance, Illusion and Reality, Weak Points and Strong Points. It's about recognizing and understanding what your resources are, and how it applies in battle.

It's a step just before the next step known as Engaging The Force. Reading that just now, I think of Star Wars, but I don't think that's what Sun Tzu was referring to. Or was it?

Maneuvering/Engaging The Force explains the dangers of direct conflict and how to win those confrontations when they are forced upon you.
- From SUN TZU's The Art Of War

I now turn to advice from yet another old Asian war master. Miyamoto Musashi and his Book Of Five Rings. There are rules in learning his Military Science. Many of those rules can be easily applied to everyday life, and most definitely here and now in my current mind set.

1. Think of what is right and true.
2. Practice and cultivate the science.
3. Become acquainted with the arts.
4. Know the principles of the crafts.
5. Understand the harm and benefit in everything.
6. Learn to see everything accurately.
7. Become aware of what is not obvious.
8. Be careful even in small matters.
9. Do not do anything useless.

Number 9 is what I'll be working on today. While things are being pondered and realized, I must do what I can to make sure I have a clean and efficient base of operations.

In others words, I'll be cleaning house.

"Timing is important in dancing and pipe or string music, for they are in rhythm only if timing is good. Timing and rhythm are also involved in the military arts, shooting bows and guns, and riding horses. In all skills and abilities there is timing.... There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this. In strategy there are various timing considerations. From the outset you must know the applicable timing and the inapplicable timing, and from among the large and small things and the fast and slow timings find the relevant timing, first seeing the distance timing and the background timing. This is the main thing in strategy. It is especially important to know the background timing, otherwise your strategy will become uncertain."

- Miyamoto Musashi "The Book Of Five Rings"

And now RICK ASTLEY!





Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Storm Is Here

It happens. In any sort of transition. There is friction, there is some discomfort, stress, pressure, and clashing. Such is the weather. Right now, Winter is transitioning into Spring. As one season moves in and another takes it's place, there is a small clashing in the transition. The lightning, the thunder, the rains, and the winds.

For a philosopher there is much to ponder, and for the local news, there is much to report. And boy does the local news love local happenings.

Anyhoo.

I am in a time of transition. It's not going to be pretty. Moving towards a life that you want to lead, and away from a life that has nothing left for you.

Simply put, I'm trying to make my living making movies.

It's been hard so far, and I only expect it to get even harder. But I'm confident I can get through this transition.

One obstacle I realize I must overcome, is that I am obviously not making it clear enough what it is I'm trying to create, and more so, just how driven I am in making this project happen.

It's obvious that I have to do something drastic in order to get the help I need to make this happen.

I'm not just talking about making a movie. I'm talking about making something amazing. I'm talking about making something mind blowing.

I've watched alot of indie movie trailers lately, and they look exactly like not so great. Amateurish, bad performances, bad direction, horrible writing. I hate to dog some of my fellow indies. It takes alot to get it all together and make something happen. I've been there before. And I know what it's like to struggle to create something when you have neither the time nor the money.

But alot of these trailers I've seen are from people who were able to raise $50,000, $100,000, $500,000. What that money was spent on? I do not know. Because the quality, the production, the magic, it just wasn't there.

I'm trying to keep costs low. I'm doing this bare bones. The budget I require is $11,730. And I'm still trying to refine it. I'm trying to put this together realistically, what is it that I need to make this happen. No trailers for amateur actors you've never heard of. No $15,000 Dolly system to give you smooth professional shots that I know I can do for less than $300.

If I had some of the money these folks have been able to raise, I would make something that would not only be a "good movie", I would create something that was on par with any professionally made Hollywood extravaganza. And I don't need $100,000. I don't even need $50,000.

Just get me that $11,730. Heck, to make it, I'm aiming to get the first round of funding, which is $7,280. That's what I need to actually shoot, edit, and produce this feature film. The rest of the money I'm confident we can raise after we have a finished product.

I don't know how else to convey how far I'm willing to go to get this made. I am literally at the end of my rope. I cannot let another year pass where I have NOT made a movie. I WILL make this movie IF IT KILLS ME.

And I think that's pretty much where I'm at. Either a movie will be made this year or I am going to die. Because it already feels that way. When you feel like you're born to do something specific, and you don't get to do it, then you're already dying. Little by little, you do things that you don't want to, and at the same time you know what you're supposed to be doing, a little bit of you dies. And dammit I'm ready to live. I AM READY TO LIVE! I am ready to create with all my heart and soul, and if no one will help me then I'll just have to keep doing what I've always done, help myself.

But there is only so much I can do with no money. I'm tired of no money. I don't want wealth, I don't want a million dollar budget, I just need this little bit to get me what I need, to do this properly, and I will take care of the rest.

I'm tired of holding back. If you're out there and you've been planning on doing something amazing, why are you holding back? If you're an investor and you've wanted to contribute, but you just haven't for some reason, why are you holding back? I will make this the best way I can for no money, but I need HELP.

I've done what I can for now, with CREEPMOVIE.NET. I plan on adding more and more to help display what this movie is and what I am trying to create. But please feel free to look it over. Tell me what you think, what else should I add, how else can I better explain, how else can I better get people to contribute?

Feel free to CONTACT ME. Or you can leave a comment on this blog.

I'll do more to start letting people know about the movie and about this site as I add more to it, but if you're reading this then please feel free to check out the site. There will be more soon. More videos to explain every bit of the movie and the site. I plan on shooting that first scene and posting it for all to see, maybe that will help generate more buzz.

Pardon my dramatics, but I'm so focused on this I cannot think of anything else. I need to do this. I'm ready to burst if I cannot do this, and I am determined to make this happen.

So please, go and check it out, CREEPMOVIE.NET

Help me make something AMAZING!

.