Thankful

Much to be thankful for. As much as I bitch and complain about stuff, my life is pretty good. I've got my amazing and beautiful wife and I'm working on my dreams. That alone I'm thankful for, and yet I still have so much more while others don't have much at all. I understand just how lucky and blessed I am.

This is a pic from yesterday's Thanksgiving lunch at Juli's Grandad's house. Good food, and great times with my niece Brelyn and my nephew Ezra. I love those kids. So much fun running around with them in the yard. I still get amazed at how kids grow into little people, and how eventually they evolve into full grown people.  It's one of those things you kinda take for granted until you really look at how amazing the process of life is. (Oh Snap! Patrick is deep!)

It's been a pretty decent week, with so many possibilities coming up. Last week I shot and edited an ad for Poptent and UPS. I've been doing private assignments for them, which usually means I make ads that I can't show people right away. So it was nice to do a public assignment and be able to show the work to my crew straight off. As a matter of fact, here it is:

I go back and forth on whether or not I actually like this. I mean, I think it's "OK", I think we could've made it much funnier. Everyone did a great job in it, but I think I could've put in more effort writing wise. Oh well, it's in the hands of the fates now. It's all up to UPS as to whether or not they wanna buy it.

Was also able to reveal the video that CVS purchased from me. Very proud of this one. Goes along with my obsession with Rube Goldberg Machines. Not only did CVS like it but as I tweeted it (to Pee Wee Herman) , Pee Wee Herman Re-tweeted me.

He posted about it on Facebook as well. I can say that this is the second time he's re-tweeted me. A silly thing to be proud of? I think not. For crying outloud I got the attention of one of my childhood heros. How effin cool is that?

Here's the video:

I am VERY thankful for Poptent. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have the opportunity to use my skills to make some decent money, and I've done pretty good this year. And because of them I was able to get a great opportunity this week. Can't talk too much about it, but let's just say that some really great opportunities and possibilities may be coming up and I'm VERY excited to see the outcome of my work.

Got to shoot a pivotal scene this past Monday. Got to work with Danielle Motley, since she came in from California for Thanksgiving. Met her very lovely boyfriend, Ruben. Funny guy. Was able to get her scene for Redd out of the way, and also get the two of them into another ad I was shooting. 

Built her a website that's kind of a work in progress. Very simple, but at least she has something up that will help her career along. Check it out here:

DANIELLEMOTLEY.COM

And speaking of REDD, we've got some headway on it. Check out this little sneak preview I threw together for the upcoming PRODUCTION VLOG 3. People really seem to love our production vlogs. Let's hope they love the movie just as much.

Aiming to have a trailer / teaser up by Christmas / New Years. Also looking to put together another Kickstarter Campaign.  It's an exciting time, full of possibilities. Can't wait to see what the future holds. In the meantime, I work to make my own future happen. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to do that.

Thanksgiving In Spring

I'm in it right now. Editing, re-writes, updating websites, re-tooling the business plan, talking to investors. I've got my computer back and I feel like I'm back in the swing of things, ready to really hit Monster Cops as hard as I can. Finishing up this episode, prepping for the next one.

But as I'm in the middle of working. I need to stop for a minute. Really take stock of what it is I'm thankful for. I was without my computer for a week, and I felt so frustrated not having this very important tool in my moviemaking arsenal. Now that I have it back I realize how thankful I am for it, and remember a time when I was younger and had nothing but a desire to make movies, with no resources to help me get there.

As much as I like to complain about what I don't have (we all do it), it's important to really look and appreciate what you do have. I'm in such a better position now than I was years ago. Yes, I want the latest equipment to help make better quality stuff, but at least I've got the tools to make something decent now.

But I have to look beyond that. Before I jump back into the grind, and pump out as best an episode as I can, I have to look beyond the pursuit of my dreams, and really see what else I'm TRULY thankful for.

I'm thankful for my health, the fact that I'm breathing and I have all my limbs, and a functioning brain (sometimes). I'm thankful for a roof over my head, food on my table, and that I live in the land of the free, where, despite whatever supposed blocks I may encounter, I am absolutely free to pursue my dreams. I'm thankful for my amazing wife, Julianna. For the times we share, the adventures we have together, and the love that I have found with her. I'm thankful for such supportive friends, both online and off. There are people who believe in me so much and do things to support me, and I am ever grateful for them, and promise never to let them down and do what I can to return the favor. I'm thankful for my supportive, caring, and loving family. I'm thankful for my community, for my very existence, and the fact that I am blessed to witness so much greatness and beauty, and for the opportunity to use my talents to add my own creativity to that greatness.

I mean, why wait til Thanksgiving to take stock of what you are thankful for. I think it's important to stop for a minute, and appreciate what you have, appreciate that you're living, and appreciate the opportunities that are given to you. It's easy to look at what you don't have. It's easy to look at what more you could have. But life isn't about easy. It's about living and really experiencing the true nature of your own existence.

To do that, to really live, you don't need anything else but what you already have. Your heart, your mind, your soul, and the very breath in your lungs. With that, you can do anything.

Eli Roth's Grindhouse Trailer

Thanksgiving from ELI ROTH

Warning. Explicit content.




He really nailed that late 70's early 80's slasher feel. And they actually used music from Creepshow. LOL.