Turn Off The Lights

and light a candle.

With everything that's been going on in my life and in the world, I just haven't had a chance to pay homage to the great and amazing Teddy Pendergrass.  I was reminded just a few moments ago that I needed to post about this because an infomercial had come on about R&B songs from the 70's.  They played "Turn Off the Lights."  And my heart sank.  It really hit me, Teddy's gone.  He passed away a few days ago.

My ringtone is actually one of my fav songs of his. Love TKO. It's one of my fav songs of all time, and it's been my ringtone for the about 2 years now.  When my phone rings I'll always get a little sad, but it'll be my little tiny personal way to remember and pay tribute to the great Teddy Pendergrass.

Thank you for the music Mr. Pendergrass.

"Simplicity is the key to brilliance"
- Bruce Lee

Try to fail. Don't fail to try.

It's one of those days. I woke up with a sinus headache that just would not go away. The day started off crappy and I just felt like giving up and going back to bed.

But I can't. I've got too much to do. I could just do nothing today, but there's so much more that needs to be fought for, and the battle has barely begun. So you buck up, say screw it, and dive in anyways.

It's easy to look passed my headache when I see what's going on in Haiti. I'm blessed to have the life I have and the opportunities I've been given. My house is still sturdy, my loved ones are safe, and I only have a headache from stopping me from working on my dreams to day. When you really look at it, your problems end up being better than a whole lot of other people's.

I read somewhere once "If we all threw our problems into a big pile and saw everyone else's, we'd take ours back instantly." Don't remember where I saw that.

Problems are a part of life. It's what makes life interesting, keeps your brain functioning, and our bodies moving. And one of the biggest problems I think people in general have is that alot of their problems aren't really problems. Just excuses.

Me? I have no excuses. I don't really have problems either, when I compare it to real world perspectives. I'm doing fine and I'm working towards being great.

So we continue to try. And alot of the times we fail. But failure is good too. Failure is also a part of life. It makes achievement mean more, keeps you awake, and teaches you to do better. One of the biggest failures I think people in general have, is the failure to recognize that failure is actually opportunity.

And I'm thankful for all my failures and opportunities. As long as I keep trying I'll never truly fail.

Oh, whaddya know, my headache is gone. I'm going to finish my green tea, go work out, and run some errands. I'm going to continue to be thankful that I have the opportunities to try and fail and try again.

And then at some point I'm going to eat some chicken.

Conan

Conan's statement concerning his leaving The Tonight Show.  I'm posting it here, because I admire Conan, I think he's making the right decision, and I think he explains it with class and eloquence and his classic brand of comedy.

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me.  For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky.  That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009.  Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me.  I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future.   It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule.  Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance.  After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35.  For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news.  I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting.  The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show.  Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot.  That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this:  I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it.  My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction.  Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter.  But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next.  My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.

Yours,
Conan

I could read that all day. It's almost poetic.

My heart broke the day Carson left The Tonight Show. I grew up watching him. When Jay took over, it didn't feel quite right, but I gave it a chance. I never once thought the writing on the show was all that great and the show itself went from truly classy to completely terrible. For some strange reason Jay's ratings were good although everyone I had ever talked to disliked Leno, with the exception of one or two people that thought he was alright.

I was happy that Conan took over.  I knew he would do something great with it. But to be honest, I missed him in New York.  L.A. never really felt right.  But hey, I'll watch Conan where ever he goes. I hope he goes to FOX. Don't know what the hell's going on over there, but NBC's really been missing the boat lately.

Powering Through

First off I'd like to say that Aunt Jemima makes THE WORST WAFFLES in existence.

Secondly, I'm not feeling very well.  And of course I have so much that needs to be worked on NOW.  I've got to knock out scripts and pages out to everyone for REDD and for MONSTER COPS. I need to finish up the Werewolf build and knock out shots for the next couple of Monster Cops Episodes. First I need to knock out this video project that needs to be knocked out ASAP.  A whole lota knocking out needs to be done.

Still searching for a location. I need a studio space or someone's living room that has alot of room. It's hard to concentrate on anything when I'm feeling like this, but I'm hoping I can get past it in the next few days.

Some exciting things transpiring, can't wait to find out how things will work out over the next few weeks as well as the next few months.  Getting in a new camera soon, and hopefully I can get my test shots done when I finally get the Werewolf built.

So much I wish I could go into more detail about, but I don't want to jinx or spoil anything.

Meanwhile, the TV geek in me is anticipating the return of several shows including the start of the final season of LOST.  Do I think they will answer all the questions that they've posed in passed seasons? No. Do I think they're just making it all up as they go along? Yes. Am I excited about the final season? You bet your ass.

I can only hope to produce a show as popular and as intriguing.  I'm hoping I can continue to TRY to produce good stories and entertaining media with Monster Cops.  I've barely touched the surface of what I'm trying to achieve and express with it. Comedy, Horror, Action, Drama, Empathy, Pathos, but mostly Gravitas.

Like I've said before, it's that depth and endearment that helps make all those horrifying, comedic, and action packed elements mean even more. Gravitas is that thing that makes it real, makes it defined, and gives the final product a soul.  I'm inching my way there with Monster Cops, and hopefully will really be able to achieve that with these next few projects, especially with that super secret spectacular and amazing no-budget feature film I'm quietly working on.

Wisdom is knowledge applied.

Learn to over prepare, but also to go with the flow.

Make a plan, but learn to improvise.

Round 1: FIGHT!

It's like a fight, a war almost. The battle to strive to reach those goals. A new year's promise to give you another chance to make this year better than the last.

January 2010 = Round 1

What are we fighting for exactly? Improved income, improved lifestyle, and to make a kick ass bunch of videos and movies that will not only help in achieving those improvements, but to inspire and entertain the world as a whole, and hopefully change things for the better.

I'm excited actually. I really see the previous years as preparations for this one. 2005 I moved here to NC. 2006, 2007 was all about healing and grieving after my wife's mother died. 2008 was about getting back on our feet. 2009 was about solidifying what the goals are and preparing to move towards them. Which brings us to 2010. The move towards those goals.

The ball dropped on the first year of a new decade on the night of a Blue Moon. Sounds magical doesn't it. Like the beginning to what should be a magical and adventurous story. Like Once Upon a Time. Which only makes us all pine for a happily ever after.

Oh, but you gotta fight for it. Work must be done to reach that next level. Gotta climb that hill to get to the top. If you want to succeed you have to rise from your failures. How many more ways can I state this?

Oh I've got a few more.

You gotta drive right if you wanna make it down that freeway of life.

You wanna win it, then you gotta get in it.

No guts, no glory.

No fish, no fowl.

No cheese, no sandwhich.

yeah I lost it.

Bottom line is, there is much work to be done, and I'm ready for it.

Production wise we've still got the same goals:

First up, it's MONSTER COPS. Now that the holidays and hectic schedules have settled down, I have more time to work on our little monster killing web series. I hope to make enough episodes and webisdoes to warrant a pretty nifty DVD to put out. I'm finishing up editing on this next episode and we'll start shooting for the next one and the next few webisodes this month.

REDD. My little Red Riding Hood short. I'm aiming for it to be a mind blowing 5 to 10 minutes. Will start back to work on finishing the Werewolf body and stilts. Already finished the head and hands. Not quite sure when we'll wrap this one up, cuz I'm kind of holding out til I get the new camera in.

BOBBY'S CLOSET. In early pre-production. Going to continue to fill out the official site with art work, may even try to shoot some sample scenes from the script. Not going to go into principal photography til we get the full budget, and we are still fundraising. 53,000 for actual production, and 20 to 40,000 for marketing and distribution. And I don't feel at all comfortable going into it without the money for either. I'm confident we can get the movie out there and make money back as well as raise money for Cancer Charities, as long as we get the full budget. We shall see.

PATRICK'S SUPER SECRET SPECTACULAR AND AMAZING NO-BUDGET FEATURE FILM.

Bobby's Closet was supposed to be a high concept on a low-budget. Something we can make with little money. A million dollar film for less than 100,000. And while I haggle with investors and go out begging for money, I'm still itching to make a truly filmic cinematic feature. So as I was ready to dive into low-budget moviemaking, turns out I'm not quite done with no-budget moviemaking just yet. So this project will only require the new camera, and utilize resources we already have (as per usual.)

Not going to say what it's about, because it is ever evolving. If you recall I wanted to make an Untitled Vampire Movie, then it was a Paranormal Film (which was turned off of when I saw Paranormal Activity), then it was that one about Russian Hookers and Filipino Pimps. Just kidding. Or am I? (muwahahaha)

I'm half way through the script, and I'm very excited about it, but I'm not going to tell anyone about it til it's done and ready to be xeroxed and given to the respective players and crew members. Just know that it's going to take a TON of preparation, and it's going to kick my ass. But it's something I'm confident we can shoot before the fall.

Any other projects will be Video and Commercial work. (Gotta support that green tea habit.)

Oh yes, and I'm working on another screenplay. This one I don't plan on shooting, it's just I've been missing the contest and festival circuit for a while and I kinda wanna throw my hat back in the ring. Came up with a nice concept and I'm writing through it. So many more opportunities and resources for script writer's have developed in the passed decade, why not try em out. Besides I miss getting those rejection letters from Endevour, Paramount, Warner, and Village Roadshow. There must be a ton more companies now that I can get rejected from.

I've been such a script hog for the passed decade. I didn't want to part with any of my scripts for a while, because I was intent on shooting them all. Now I'm wise enough to see that is impossible, so why not let my babies out into the world, let them grow, and evolve into the movies they're meant to be under other filmmakers effort. Or at the very least options that pay up but never get a green light. Dare to dream.

So let the fight begin.

right after I take this nap.

Dan O'Bannon

Dan O'Bannon. Not a household name. But a name in Sci-fi and Horror that I put right up there with George Lucas, Stephen King, George Romero, and many others. You may not know him, but you've undoubtedly seen some of his work. He passed away last week. And while everyone is talking about the death of Brittany Murphy (god rest her soul) Dan O'Bannon was someone that actually and directly influenced me, and whether you know it or not, he influenced Sci-Fi and Horror.

I remember the first time I saw this poster. It was 1985, and I went to see a movie at the General Cinema Six Flags Mall. Back before asbestos would shut the theater down and back when Six Flags Mall was the place to be.

Not sure what movie it was I went to see. I just remember coming out of the theater and seeing this poster. I was 10 years old and I hadn't quite yet started my obsession with horror movies. That wouldn't come for another 2 years. This poster scared the crap out of me. It was strange and avant garde, and it made me wonder what kind of people would go see a movie like this.

The commercials for it scared me as well. Running Zombies! Punk music, or what I thought at the time was Punk. Alot of chaos and people being chased down by cannibalistic moving corpses.

By the time I was deep into my horror obsession, this movie was on VHS. I rented it often and then eventually owned it.

It was this odd blend of humor and scares. Til this day I'm actually not sure if it's straight up horror or comedy. It was one of the first times a movie featured running zombies. And although it is somewhat connected to Romero's Dead Trilogy, these zombies just couldn't be killed AT ALL. Oh unless of course you burned them, then the fumes would go into the air, then it would rain into a cemetery, then you'd get more unstoppable running zombies.

Dan O'Bannon was the writer and director of this movie, and it further pushed the zombie genre into popularity. It would be the first time I would really hear the name, and later I would realize that this was the man who wrote one of the scariest movies of all time. ALIEN.

If you research Dan O'Bannon, you learn he worked for Lucas doing some visual fx and animation for Star Wars, he wrote and directed Night Of The Living Dead, and he wrote Blue Thunder, Invaders From Mars, and Lifeforce, and he made the merger of Sci-Fi and Horror popular with Alien. Alien got the ball rolling on strong female leads in movies, thanks to O'Bannon making the characters in the script non-gender specific.

Back in the day me and my friends actually got a copy of O'Bannon's first movie that he worked on with John Carpenter, a sureal Sci-Fi comedy called Dark Star. O'Bannon also starred in it as the character Pinback.

Watching Dark Star helped me as an indie. To see where it all started with John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon. To understand what could be done on such a low budget. To see how the greats like Carpenter and O'Bannon could start out with something smaller like this, and then blow up big enough to make the great movies they made.

O'Bannon specifically always felt like one of us. Like a guy I'd hang out with and talk to. If this guy can make it then so can the rest of us. Not only did he create a cult classic that helped further the zombie genre, but he started the Sci-fi / Horror ball rolling with Alien, a true movie classic that would help change the genre movie landscape. I think mainly for me, Dan O'Bannon helped make my dreams of making movies seem more accessible.

Thank you for that Dan.

KICK ASS!

The name of the movie is Kick Ass. And I am beyond excited about it. Clips and trailers below.

Snow Day

Ah yes, winter weather.  A great excuse to bust out the camera.

Snickers Machine

The video I busted my ass on all last week. It's for the Snicker's Assignment over at Poptent. I've said it before, if you're video maker and you want to try to build up your portfolio while trying to earn some money for major brands, then you've got to go over and sign up at POPTENT.



I've been with these guys for a while now and it's been a blast making videos for them, and it's helped me out financially as well. It's one of the many ways an indie moviemaker / video maker can make some money.


I will say that I tend not to work on video contests unless I feel the video itself can benefit me in more ways than just trying to win money. Here I decided to make a Rube Goldberg Machine. To be honest it's something I do alot actually. Origami, magic tricks, make Rube Goldberg Machines, it helps me think.

Not only did I think it would make a great video for Snickers, but I also wanted to finally shoot one of my machines to actually show what I have in mind for some of the scenes in Bobby's Closet. In case you didn't know, Bobby's Closet is a feature length film I plan on shooting next year, and or as soon as I can raise the money. The movie is a sci-fi, action, adventure, fantasy flick filled with funny characters, old school monsters, and a lot of Rube Goldberg Machines.

Here's the Rube Goldberg Machine Video I made for Snickers.



It was initially much longer, and featured parts I made for the now scrapped Halloween Machine video, which was going to feature a Halloween themed Rube Goldberg Machine. My ideas for it were entirely too big for the space I have right now. Maybe next year. I decided to use what I had and combine it with new pieces and parts for this here Snicker's video.

It was a HUGE pain in the ass to shoot. I could've easily faked each part of it, but the hard part of it was that it was pretty much fully functioning. That's what was so difficult. I was shooting it in pieces and cut angles, so when I rolled on one set up, the machine would keep going, and I'd try to stop it, and then re-setup everything. On top of me having to reset parts to get more than one angle at it. Oh how many times the ball would roll away from me, underneath a desk, and don't even get me started on how many times I had to set up those dominoes.

I know a lot of people who are in to Rube Goldberg Machines prefer the single take method. One uncut shot that records each and every step. But I prefer to see how each and every part functions, and seeing different angles to get an understanding of each part that moves. I was originally going to set up more than one camera to capture the entire machine in one go, but I only have one decent digital camera, the rest were of varying formats and qualities, and I wanted to try to stick to one format and look.

I love Rube Goldberg Machines. I loved seeing them in movies like The Goonies and Pee Wee's Big Adventure. All this ties into what kind of movie Bobby's Closet is, and how Rube Goldberg Machines fit into the movie. I hope Snickers likes it, but even if they don't, I've at least finally got an example scene for Bobby's Closet.

Click here to find out about Rube Goldberg.

Click here to find out more about Bobby's Closet.

Click here to go to Poptent and watch my video.

90 pages

That's the goal. Another 90 pages. Last full length feature script I wrote was in July. It was Bobby's Closet. And I know that will need another re-write before it actually gets shot next year. Also in the middle of a Monster Cops episode and Redd re-writes, but those are less than 30 pages.

I'm about to embark on another feature length script, this one is my no-budget venture. Bobby's Closet has a budget of about 63,000 depending on what camera package I'm going to use. This new script is one we can start shooting as soon as I finish writing it and whenever I can get the new camera in.

As I've written before, alot of the writing process doesn't actually involve any physical writing. The real and first writing starts in your head. My brain has been scrambling around all the ideas and plot lines trying to piece it together like a puzzle. I'm putting pressure on myself to make this one truly great, but when am I not?

When my brain is doing all the writing it's important for me to create an atmosphere that is optimal for inspiration and creative thinking. That means everything around me has to help feed my mind. Sights, sounds, even smells and flavors. I've got an apple pie flavored candle burning, it matches the holiday feel lately and I find it rather relaxing. I've been drinking alot of coffee, not only to feed my caffeine headache, but also because something about the flavor helps my brain. I always try to keep the house clean, because I'm sort of a neat freak of course, but also because I can't think if there is a mess around me.

This brings me to what I've been listening to and watching.

Movie scores always help. I always write to music. Here's part of my huge movie score playlist. The tracks I keep repeating over and over. The sounds that help bring me to where I need to be to write.

- Beowulf Slays the Beast by Alan Silvestri from Beowulf
- Chiun Walks On Water by Craig Safan from Remo Williams The Adventure Begins
- Enterprising Young Men by Michael Giacchino from Star Trek
- A Dark Knight by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard from The Dark Knight
- Panda Po by Hans Zimmer from Kung Fu Panda
- Overture by Michael Kamen from Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves
- August's Rhapsody by Mark Mancina from August Rush
- Roll Tide by Hans Zimmer from Crimson Tide
- My Day So Far by John Powell from Jumper
- Escape From Torture by Jerry Goldsmith from Rambo: First Blood Part II

There's plenty more but these are the tracks I keep gravitating to.

I've been digesting and re-digesting much TV as well. My wife just got into DEXTER and has decided to get me into it as well. Already watched the first season. It's a really great show and luckily it's been helping my creative atmosphere. Good writing, great performances. It's a show that has alot of episodes that write the same way I think.

Been re-watching alot of HOUSE episodes as well, since it's sort of a detective movie I'm writing I need my Sherlock Holmes fix, and HOUSE is the closest to a modern day Sherlock Holmes we'll get nowadays (Love the guy, but Robert Downey Jr. doesn't count.).

I've read a few rants about the show recently. Some people have lost interest because they feel they show may have jumped the shark a few times. Me personally I don't care. As long as the characters stay true to themselves, keep the mysteries coming, and let House continue to be a wise ass medical detective, I'm perfectly fine with jumping whatever type of shark they want.


Slipping in the occasional THE WEST WING episode as well as SEINFELD to round out the comedy.



Ooh, my music player just went into Kung Fu Panda, SUCH A GREAT SCORE!!!!

Anyhoo.

And of course watching Movies always helps. Can't go wrong with PIXAR. THE INCREDIBLES and TOY STORY 2. Pixar in general is one of the great movie making and story telling companies in existence. They really know how to make a really great movie and know how to capture the essence of amazing cinema.

ROUNDERS is always one of my favorites, such a cool and smooth flick. I put it right up there with GOODFELLAS as far as voice over flicks are concerned. Great direction and performances and Damon does so well with the narration. Love the way it's written, such slick dialogue. Also, I'll watch anything with Famke Jansen in it.

Just re-watched THE PAPER, a highly underrated Ron Howard movie and one of David Koepp's best scripts. Every bit of that movie was entertaining. I love ticking clock movies and this one gets almost every beat right. A pre-cursor to SPORTS NIGHT and THE WEST WING, filled with walk and talk, wit, intellect, and street smarts, funny as hell. Captures the chaos of a newspaper news room. Great cast, and man, do I miss watching Michael Keaton take control of the screen.










This should give you some sense of what I'm working on. Ticking Clock, Voice Overs, Ensemble Casts, and a Detective Story. Throw in a murder, smart comedy, and a few thrills and you've got whatever the heck it is my brain is trying to piece together.

Of course still working on props and script for REDD. Got most of Redd's weapons established and I'm back on the Werewolf in a few weeks. The top of that pic you'll see the double barrel shotgun I built. I wanted Redd to have a primary weapon and I wanted it to be a big ass gun. I figured a double barrel sawed off would look great with her outfit. The other guns are props from Monster Cops I've had to re-paint and fix, note the tape job on that bottom handgun.

I think I should probably eat at some point this week.

"Pain is your friend, your ally, it will tell you when you are seriously injured, it will keep you awake and angry, and remind you to finish the job and get the hell home. But you know the best thing about pain? It lets you know you're not dead yet!"

- Master Chief Urgayle (GI JANE)

The Adventure Began

Based on the cult book series "The Destroyer" by Warren Murphy, Remo Williams was about a single super secret agent working for a small 3 to 4 man government agency known as CURE. Only known to the President Of the United States they work covertly to protect America from unknown enemies foreign and domestic. Often uncovering secret corruption and conspiracies within the government, Remo would have to do battle utilizing his wit and the ancient (and fictional) martial art known as Sinanju, as taught by the old and wise Sinanju Master, Chiun.

There was little fanfare when this movie came out in 1985. And if I haven't stated it before, I'll state it now. 1985 was my year. Although I always knew I wanted to make movies, 1985 was the year that really sealed it. Back To The Future, The Goonies, Legend, Young Sherlock Holmes, etc. These were movies filled with adventure and fantasy so much so that my movie making dreams were just bursting at the seams. Remo Williams was no exception.


Wasn't exactly a critical hit, nor a box office success, although there was a terrible attempt at a TV series. Fans of the books will complain it's not as intricate or fantastical, but what the movie had to offer was plenty for a chubby 10 year old Filipino kid from Grand Prairie, Texas. A super hero secret agent that fought using a secret martial art that taught you how to run over water and dodge bullets. Of course I was blown away.

I wanted a master like Chiun to teach me how to hear for the clicking sounds of a gun right before it fires, and know when to move out of the way. I wanted to build an obstacle course in my living room where I could train to jump on and off of things and balance on them perfectly (which I did by the way, and my Mother wasn't too happy about that.) I wanted to be able to start a fire by rubbing my fingers on a tree branch. Or to magically make Kate Mulgrew fall in love with me (not really, although I did love her as Captain Janeway).

I really started reminiscing about all this when I came across the amazing score for the movie by Craig Safan. I had forgotten I had it in a file hidden away in my movie scores collection (cuz I'm a nerd like that). Listening to it brought back all those memories. Craig Safan's score was adventurous and wonderful, fun and moving. Chiun's theme specifically is quite joyous and playful and it always makes me smile.

It's obvious by the score (along with the marketing) that the studio really wanted this to be the next Indiana Jones. They weren't successful, but they were successful in further inspiring a young kid from a small Texas town to want to make movies like this. Movies that would inspire other kids anywhere and everywhere, of every race, age, or circumstance, to dream big, and to make them realize and see that their own lives don't have to be seen as mundane or ordinary. That they could begin their own adventure.

Found this video on youtube. Someone had cut together scenes from the movie over Craig Safan's amazing score.




Fun, adventurous, moving, and inspired a kid to think bigger. That's what my aim is in alot of my movies, especially with Bobby's Closet.

Thankful

I am very thankful. For my life, for the ability to breathe, move, think, see, hear, and to just be.  I'm so thankful for a roof over my head, and walls to shield me from the outside elements. A bed to sleep in. A bathroom with a functioning toilet and a clean shower. A kitchen I can cook in.  My car.  My computer.  Electricity. Water. I'm thankful for family, and friends.  I'm so very thankful for my wife, my pal, my best friend.  I'm thankful I have her to lean on, to live with, love with, and just be myself with.  When I hold her I always feel like I'm home, and I'm so very thankful I have her.  I'm also thankful that she is so supportive of me and my crazy efforts to make movies.

I'm so thankful for this amazing opportunity I have to make my dreams happen. I'm thankful to be alive, and to understand and comprehend how fortunate I am to do what I'm able to do. I'm so thankful for the freedoms I have to pursue these goals.  It's mind blowing what it took to make me realize that all that I needed to accomplish my goals, I already have.  I have heart and soul, desire and skill, and a wife who believes in me.  Put that with my freedom and I have everything I need to create something truly amazing.

So our typical Thanksgiving events involved, cooking dinner, eating dinner, conversations about space travel and Star Trek, random house cleaning, and then me in the ice cold garage spray painting a Werewolf head.  All of this narrated by FX's Home Alone marathon.  I really love that movie.

I used different shades of fur and felt, I needed to paint him to even out all the colors.  Also I wanted a darker used look, like he'd been running out in the wild for a while.  Also needed to color black around the eyes to help accentuate the glowing red eyes.

The hair needs more work. I need more spray paint and fur, and then it'll be all about the legs and the body.  I hope to do some test shots this Tuesday and or Wednesday.  I'll also try out the new camera crane as well.

The body I'm still trying to figure out.  I can't afford enough fur to cover an entire body, especially since this guy is going to be a giant.  I'm going to have to cheat and give him some kind of clothing.  A robe perhaps with some sort of torn baggy pants.  Nothing so generic as a T-shirt and jeans. I am going to clone this guy into an army in After Effects.  Some sort of cloth, toga, or monks robe, or something along those lines.  I'll have a better understanding when I see the mask and hands on an actor.

I still need to finish my Snicker's Ad.  I really need to pick a day next week and just knock that out.

Even Closer

Went out and bought the materials I needed to continue on the wolf. Felt, Craft Fur, Plastic Table cloth. Again, I'll go more in depth in the VLog, but for now here's a pic of where I'm at with the Wolf Head.

My inspirations for this wolf came from the classic wolf fantasy flick In The Company Of Wolves, but also Rob Bottin's FX work in The Howling, as well as Stan Winston's work in Predator.  And as with anything I create, props, costume, or FX wise, I always get inspiration from Jim Henson.

Gotta give it a bit more fur, then give it a once over with some spray paint, then it's on to the body, and then the legs and stilts.  So far I've spent about 35$ on this. I'm hoping to keep the costs low, but I do expect the final cost of this build to be around $50 to $60.

Still need to make time to work on that Snicker's Ad.  More later.

Closer

Was thinking of shooting a few scenes for Monster Cops this week, but it looks like I'm going to spend this Thanksgiving week, finishing up the giant Werewolf costume for REDD. Once I have that complete it will be easier to figure out exactly how these shots are going to go.

Gotta do some shopping this week. I've never been so excited to purchase fake fur, table cloth, duct tape, and pvc pipe. Unless I come up with something less expensive to make the rest of the Wolf's body out of. I'm quite proud that I've been able to make this out of things I already had, and have spent very little money on it. I've spent about $15 on duct tape so far. Everything else is from my collection of stuff that I've picked up and said "Hmm I think I can make something out of that." I have a huge bin full of card board tubes, plastic pieces, materials left from opened packages, anything I at one point thought I could use to help build a prop.

It's called, making it with no money, and this Werewolf is certainly no exception.

Started with a cardboard structure.

Gave it a layer of duct tape to help mold out the shape I wanted. Also built in a bicycle helmet with a strap. This way it can attach comfortably to the actor's head. I am aiming for this thing to be about 7ft or more. Which means I'm gonna have to make some stilts.

And here's where I'm at now. A bit of hair added to it, it's giant hands are ready to go. Now we move on to the fur, paint, and full body.










I'll be going into deeper details with a Video Blog describing the whole process, including the LED powered glowing red eyes, and how I'm doing the hair. And there will also be a VLog about the DIY Camera Crane I built.

These are great examples of how far I'm willing to go to make this production truly great. I want the Werewolf to be hulking and impressive. I want to utilize majestic and sweeping crane shots to really express that cinematic feel. I want it to look like we spent alot of money without actually spending the money. I know we can do it. Every week we get closer and closer to a production date.

After Midnight

Can't sleep. Late night snack. Walnuts and grapes.

Also feel the need to blog about what I've done since my last post.

Built a werewolf head, and just completed the prosthetic hands tonight.

Fixed and readjusted my DIY camera crane and Jib. Most of it made from cardboard poster tubes, duck tape, and magic. ;) Everything's going fine so far. I feel like if I can get the Werewolf costume to look more than decent, we'll have a solid shot at doing something extremely high concept. Also, it would be nice to have a giant Werewolf on hand for Monster Cops.

I've got script pages to write and re-write. Packages to send off, and somewhere in there I need to make time to workout.

I feel I've got quite a bit done. Let's see if I can continue to be productive.

Shut up and put your money where your mouth is!

I have a rather larger to do list for the rest of the year. I've done this before, and I'm familiar with the drill. As much as I would love to get all of the projects done on my list before the end of the year, I know it's just not possible. We're almost into December. We'll have the weather to contend with soon. Most of my stuff is exteriors, and we don't have a studio at our disposal.

I know we're most likely going to be delayed on everything. Redd will most likely be finished by March. Monster Cops will probably not have a new episode til after New Years. And Bobby's Closet will probably be pushed to late summer, most likely because of problems with fund raising. And the sad part isn't not finding the funds to raise, it's having time to actually make the effort. Life just catches up to you and rearranges your schedule.

But this doesn't mean I won't try to get the list done. I've had some practice at this, and it all comes down to anticipating problems, and planning for the worst. We may only get one production day a week through January, which means I have to work to get each and everyday as productive as possible.

Yes this all changes if I can raise some money, get some studio space, and free up my work schedule. But no funds will be raised if I don't put together proof I can produce something truly cinematic to go with our killer business plan, and I'm having a heck of a time doing that since my work schedule and lack of studio space prevents me, which would be easy to remedy if we only had the money, which would be easier to get if I can .... yadda, yadda, yadda.

It's a vicious circle, and I could spend all day whining about it and how I'm trying my best.

John Mason: Are you sure you're ready for this?
Stanley Goodspeed: I'll do my best.
John Mason: Your "best"! Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen. 
- The Rock (1996)

Point is, I know what I'm capable of, I know I can create something absolutely amazing (could I be any more impressed with myself?). I'm confident I can raise the money to make Bobby's Closet (and possibly even a feature length REDD.) But I've never been one to wait for someone else to give me the opportunity. I'm use to making my own opportunities. And even though someone might write me a check to get the studio space, pay the cast and crew, and make a cinematic masterpiece. Part of me likes the no budget low end.

Maybe I'm a masochistic. Maybe I'm addicted to movie-making poverty.

I think mainly I wanna make it on my own steam. And not just make it, but make it big. Not make it big as in some big studio gives me a big distribution deal. I mean I make something truly great, distribute and market it myself, and reap huge benefits from it. Millions of dollars from an indie movie with a low budget, enough to pay everyone that needs to be paid, raise a hell of alot of money for Cancer Charities, and have enough left over to make another one, and so on and so on. All with no permission from any studio of any kind.

I know I talk about it all the time, but it's completely possible. It's all in the business plan for Bobby's Closet. Go on ASK ME FOR A COPY! It's in there. The means to market and distribute are all available for anyone with a movie to sell. You don't need a distributor if you've got sites like Create Space or Filmbaby.

Marketing is all word of mouth. If you make a great product and get it in front of people through YouTube, festival screenings, even downloaded for free through torrent sites, then they'll be willing to put up the money to get a copy for themselves. And that's the key. Make something so good, that even though people steal a copy, they'll want to pay for it. Like the great Harry Anderson always said,

"If you put on a good enough show, they'll be more than happy to pay the price of admission."

The word spreads like wild fire, through YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc. It's gotta be that good that people talk about it. The best advertising is word of mouth. If you've got the right amount of money you can supplement all that with a few print ads in the right cities, some TV time, pay per click ads on Yahoo and Google.

But you gotta make that amazing piece of cinema. You've got to create the product first.

And like I said, I'm not one to wait for someone to give me the opportunity. Part of me doesn't want the money (this is Patrick's sensible side, no no, he really does want the money). Part of me wants to see how far I can take this no-budget thing. I think we've done some pretty good things with no money. Fake guns shoot real with visual fx software, I made a book of the dead out of duct tape, built a Werewolf out of cardboard, created guns with orange juice bottles. Part of me wants to know what else I can do with no money and few production days.

The money makes it easier to create the magic, but easy isn't where the creativity is.

Yes, the money will give me the freedom from the day job, so I can have the time. But what can I do with what I've got. No money, minimum time, a decent camera, and a computer to edit on. How far can I take it? How big can I make it?

And I'm not talking about a Blair Witch or a Paranormal Activity. Yes those were great concepts and executions with documentary style formats. I'm talking HUGE. Cinematic. Can I make Gone With The Wind with no budget? Can I make something as good as a Hollywood Blockbuster or better with my crappy tripod and some duck tape.

You wanna know what I did this week? I built a camera crane out of cardboard tubes, an old tripod, and duck tape. SERIOUSLY! One thing I know I needed for REDD was big sweeping cinematic shots. I need a crane for that. So I made one with stuff I already had, it literally only cost me 6 bucks for the extra duck tape.

Those videos and tutorials are everywhere. Indy Mogul, Film Riot, and videos all over YouTube have people making expensive movie gear that would normally cost thousands, and they're doing it for hundreds and less. Dolly's, cranes, steadicams, etc.

But I want to go even further. I have to ask the question, "has anybody made a truly great cinematic experience that is completely mind blowing with DIY (Do It Yourself) gear. Can I make the Matrix or Die Hard or Pirates Of The Caribbean with DIY equipment. YES! I think I can.

I don't think I've ever truly tested myself. I don't think I've pushed myself hard enough. I don't think I've truly seen how far I can go or how big I can make this. And I think it's time I put my money where my mouth is. Someone told me once that I was truly driven in my goals of being a movie maker. I don't think I'm driven enough. I don't think I'm trying hard enough.

Don't give me any money, don't give me any people, but give me freedom, and I'll give you a movie that looks gigantic.
- Robert Rodriguez

And that's what I'm going to do. If you're reading this and you wanna give me money, great. I'll take it and I'll make something absolutely amazing that will make a bunch of money. But even if you don't, I'm going to do it anyway. And I'm going to do it with cardboard, duck tape, my trusty camera and computer and the few days a week I've got. I'm going to try harder. No wait, ya know, I think I've actually been trying too hard. I'm not going to try anymore. I'm just gonna do it.

Do or do not... there is no try.
- Yoda