... is a fantastic movie, go see it.
I hate to preach any sort of advertising, or supporting "the man", but really, pay the cash to see this in theatres. Not for the theatre experience or anything (which it does deserve), but to support the film's producer, The Weinstein Company. Bob and Harvey Weinstein have put their money on the table for films that no one else would touch and in the process have brought us some of the greatest movies of our time. Their long tenure at Miramax was brought to an end when they parted ways and begin their own venture. They haven't had a lot of commercial success since then, so it's important for this film to do well in order for the brothers to continue bringing us great films such as this.
My favourite aspect of Tarantino's film making is his ability to create flawless dialogue. He has a way of making over-the-top characters say very real things. Mr. Pink and Mr. White's initial fight about the presence of an insider; Vincent explaining fast food in Europe; Bill and Beatrix's final encounter - we all have our favourite exchanges. I would love to be able to write dialogue that flows as naturally as his own.
Any article you read about the man, he almost always references his inspirations. As a former video-rental store employee, he's got a ton of movies under his belt and he loves the medium tremendously. It's easy for me to identify Tarantino as an inspiration, not in the sense I'll ever try to imitate his style - but that a simple love of what you do can get you anywhere.
I saw a motivational speaker once while working with Service Canada and amongst all his useless banter he had one strong piece of advice that works for almost any situation or life experience.
Do what you love.
I hope everyone had a good weekend. Glad that week is behind me - looking forward to the next.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
All Quiet On the Western Job Front
Greetings All!
Follow me today on a trip to the exotic nation of Canada, on the resource rich continent of North America, as we prepare to study the hunting rituals of the white, anglo-saxon male in search of sustenance.
Though when out of his own environment, the white male can be hostile towards others of his own kind, when in his native land, we typically see a much more docile and carefree version of the species. It is normal for the parents of these creatures to support them well into the second quarter of their lives. Though a large percentage of these animals leave home for a number of years to discover the world on their own, it is not unusual for them to return home, exhausted of the weariness of the outside world. At this time, returning to the care of the parents can be difficult for the subject to adjust to and it is here that we see the first sparks of independence develop.
The diet of the white-male is a complete imbalance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates gathered from available foods around him. Though the creature is capable of finding food for himself, it is customary for his kind to perform services in exchange for the resources he needs to survive. The search for a mutual agreement in which resources will be exchanged for labour is the most extreme and cut-throat hunt the white-male will ever find himself in - and it's what we find ourselves observing today.
Our primary subject is physically smaller than most, but is educated and has had previously successful experiences in exchanging his labour for resources. Typically sticking close to home, as the thrill of returning home with a bounty each night excites him, the stomping grounds of the subject are comparatively smaller to those with a more severe hunger for the hunt.
Observing the subject for the past four months, I've found that he has at least twice been able to find a suitable partner to exchange services with, while still allowing him to accommodate his other leisure activities. In recent weeks however, he has retreated to a state of hibernation, relying on the goods he has gathered in the past to support him - this behavior was at first perceived as odd, until we began to look at the subject's leisure activities to provide an answer. And provide it did.
For several months, the subject has been learning the skills to hunt the elusive "career job". Thought to be an urban legend by both subjects and observers alike, the career is a relationship where the subject both exchanges labour for resources but ALSO practices his leisure activities. A mix of both work and play long thought unobtainable for most of the subject's life.
At the ripe age of 23, the subject is combining the relevant experiences of his last four years in the nation's capital urban centre with his passion for communication. Finding his way to a local trading post of both resources and communication, the subject began to offer his labour for free - instead asking only for experience and advice in hunting larger prey.
Coming across individuals who had been successful in finding suitable prey, the subject gained both confidence and excitement for the coming hunt. Using the tools at his disposal, as all intelligent, white males do, the subject was observed going after several career-jobs - but failed in most of his attempts to gain even an audience with his prey.
It is this environment of learning that the smaller stature of the subject becomes irrelevant and his curious nature becomes the trump card in the deadly game.
On August 22nd, 2009, the subject was observed conversing with another white male, somewhat older, who had grown tired with his current prey and was moving on towards another hunt. Though the prey the older hunter was leaving behind was enticing to our subject, the older hunter offered up rumours of another, bigger hunt farther down the road.
The subject, satisfied with his hunting for the day returned home to ponder the turn of events. Though his hoard of resources resources are quickly depleting, he knows he has only two options; to move on to smaller prey, which would guarantee a return of resources - or to stay with the hunt.
The subject has been previously observed as carefree, docile and these qualities were attributed to most of his behavior. But recently, we see these characteristics providing him avenues that would be unavailable, had he begun to pursue smaller, more easily hunted prey - a scavenger. Instead, we see the subject biding his time, learning his prey and waiting for the moment to strike.
It is evident that we are not observing a jackal or vulture in this hunt for employment - but the king of the concrete jungle himself - slow to anger, slow to act - but ferocious when he does - the lion.
Thank you for tuning into another edition - and good luck on all your own hunts!
Follow me today on a trip to the exotic nation of Canada, on the resource rich continent of North America, as we prepare to study the hunting rituals of the white, anglo-saxon male in search of sustenance.
Though when out of his own environment, the white male can be hostile towards others of his own kind, when in his native land, we typically see a much more docile and carefree version of the species. It is normal for the parents of these creatures to support them well into the second quarter of their lives. Though a large percentage of these animals leave home for a number of years to discover the world on their own, it is not unusual for them to return home, exhausted of the weariness of the outside world. At this time, returning to the care of the parents can be difficult for the subject to adjust to and it is here that we see the first sparks of independence develop.
The diet of the white-male is a complete imbalance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates gathered from available foods around him. Though the creature is capable of finding food for himself, it is customary for his kind to perform services in exchange for the resources he needs to survive. The search for a mutual agreement in which resources will be exchanged for labour is the most extreme and cut-throat hunt the white-male will ever find himself in - and it's what we find ourselves observing today.
Our primary subject is physically smaller than most, but is educated and has had previously successful experiences in exchanging his labour for resources. Typically sticking close to home, as the thrill of returning home with a bounty each night excites him, the stomping grounds of the subject are comparatively smaller to those with a more severe hunger for the hunt.
Observing the subject for the past four months, I've found that he has at least twice been able to find a suitable partner to exchange services with, while still allowing him to accommodate his other leisure activities. In recent weeks however, he has retreated to a state of hibernation, relying on the goods he has gathered in the past to support him - this behavior was at first perceived as odd, until we began to look at the subject's leisure activities to provide an answer. And provide it did.
For several months, the subject has been learning the skills to hunt the elusive "career job". Thought to be an urban legend by both subjects and observers alike, the career is a relationship where the subject both exchanges labour for resources but ALSO practices his leisure activities. A mix of both work and play long thought unobtainable for most of the subject's life.
At the ripe age of 23, the subject is combining the relevant experiences of his last four years in the nation's capital urban centre with his passion for communication. Finding his way to a local trading post of both resources and communication, the subject began to offer his labour for free - instead asking only for experience and advice in hunting larger prey.
Coming across individuals who had been successful in finding suitable prey, the subject gained both confidence and excitement for the coming hunt. Using the tools at his disposal, as all intelligent, white males do, the subject was observed going after several career-jobs - but failed in most of his attempts to gain even an audience with his prey.
It is this environment of learning that the smaller stature of the subject becomes irrelevant and his curious nature becomes the trump card in the deadly game.
On August 22nd, 2009, the subject was observed conversing with another white male, somewhat older, who had grown tired with his current prey and was moving on towards another hunt. Though the prey the older hunter was leaving behind was enticing to our subject, the older hunter offered up rumours of another, bigger hunt farther down the road.
The subject, satisfied with his hunting for the day returned home to ponder the turn of events. Though his hoard of resources resources are quickly depleting, he knows he has only two options; to move on to smaller prey, which would guarantee a return of resources - or to stay with the hunt.
The subject has been previously observed as carefree, docile and these qualities were attributed to most of his behavior. But recently, we see these characteristics providing him avenues that would be unavailable, had he begun to pursue smaller, more easily hunted prey - a scavenger. Instead, we see the subject biding his time, learning his prey and waiting for the moment to strike.
It is evident that we are not observing a jackal or vulture in this hunt for employment - but the king of the concrete jungle himself - slow to anger, slow to act - but ferocious when he does - the lion.
Thank you for tuning into another edition - and good luck on all your own hunts!
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Action Scene
Lights, Camera... Action?
I've been taking some time to script out some of the more intricate action scenes from the miniseries finale, Episode 6.
Episode 6 has always been a series of action scenes linked together by the narrative established by the previous 5 episodes. The first 5 episodes are meant to explain Rhett's evolution from Derek to Soundtrack and the motivations of his band for staying with him. While Derek Rhett is the main character for episodes 1-5, Soundtrack is the main character of Episode 6.
Most action scenes are typically written and choreographed by, well, a stunt/fight choreographer. Here in Dustin Bell land, I try to do things as cheaply and cut-cornerly as possible.
I've had the songs for the final episode picked out for some time. I've even had action scenes that synched up to those songs envisioned in my head for some time. But I have been finding it extremely difficult to put pen-to-paper and make these scenes more than just a vision. I've been encountering problems in making these scenes seem fluid, essential and entertaining.
I've gotten about ten pages of action scenes worked out for the final episode. Though the vision for the final fight had always been on top of two city sky-scrappers - the realities of shooting a scene like that began to sink in and I had to think of possible alternatives. The only alternative that I really liked was a showdown at a small airport (which just happens to exist in Oro-Medonte!), but I couldn't find a way to incorporate the shot that sets off the epilogue of the series. What I'm left with is two good ideas for the final fight, one with creative flaws and one with production flaws. There's a solution somewhere in the middle of this problem.
I've been running through episode titles for Episode 6. There's a few I really liked;
i. We Stand On Guard (For Thee); This is the main one I liked. One, it's the last phrase in "O' Canada" which I think would make an awesome title. Two, it describes the destination Derek's arrived at in his rivalry with Danielle Parsons. Three, the first episode title is "For Whom the Bell Tolls", which was taken from both an Ernest Hemmingway novel and a 17th century poem by John Donne, which ends in "For Thee". Finally, the pronoun in the title is "We", which doesn't just refer to Derek, but to Riley, Cain, Eddie and Steele who have taken on Derek's cause and given him the encouragement he needs to succeed.
ii. We Stand On Guard; For all the same reasons I liked number one, except that it's shorter and carries the more connotative and ambiguous meaning that Derek has merely become a super hero who will protect... all things that need protecting. It's the less political title of the two.
iii. For Thee; Again, the last words of "O' Canada", the last words of John Donne's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and a reference to why Derek fights. This episode finds Derek in the center of a hornet's test to rescue Eve. Though Derek will eventually fight for preservation of what is Canada, it is Eve who sets him down this path and thus the entire series has been from Derek to Eve, "For Thee".
Send me your input on which one you like the most, or any other title suggestions you may have!
I mentioned above that I've already picked out the songs I'd like to use for Episode 6, regardless of its title, and just to satisfy your curiosity, I'd like to list them;
Tegan and Sara - The Con (The Con, 2007)
Moneen - Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do (The Red Tree, 2006)
Metric - Gold, Guns, Girls (Fantasies, 2009)
Matthew Good Band - Indestructible (Underdogs, 1997)
The Constantines - On to You (Shines a Light, 2003)
Wintersleep - The Archeologist (Welcome to the Night Sky, 2007)
and maybe
Joel Plaskett - Extraordinary (Truthfully, Truthfully, 2003)
Hope that's enough to interest you in what Episode 6, and in a sense, the whole miniseries will shape out to be. I can't express enough how excited I am to tackle Episode 6 in its entirety, but for now, I'll continue with Episode 5 and give you updates whenever I can.
I had a pretty lousy day today, but it was Monday, so what can you expect? Here's a link to a cheesey band who doesn't realize it's not 1980 anymore - but that doesn't mean the song isn't awesome and relevant to my optimism. Except its a crappy live version - so DEAL WITH IT.
Peace and love ya'll.
I've been taking some time to script out some of the more intricate action scenes from the miniseries finale, Episode 6.
Episode 6 has always been a series of action scenes linked together by the narrative established by the previous 5 episodes. The first 5 episodes are meant to explain Rhett's evolution from Derek to Soundtrack and the motivations of his band for staying with him. While Derek Rhett is the main character for episodes 1-5, Soundtrack is the main character of Episode 6.
Most action scenes are typically written and choreographed by, well, a stunt/fight choreographer. Here in Dustin Bell land, I try to do things as cheaply and cut-cornerly as possible.
I've had the songs for the final episode picked out for some time. I've even had action scenes that synched up to those songs envisioned in my head for some time. But I have been finding it extremely difficult to put pen-to-paper and make these scenes more than just a vision. I've been encountering problems in making these scenes seem fluid, essential and entertaining.
I've gotten about ten pages of action scenes worked out for the final episode. Though the vision for the final fight had always been on top of two city sky-scrappers - the realities of shooting a scene like that began to sink in and I had to think of possible alternatives. The only alternative that I really liked was a showdown at a small airport (which just happens to exist in Oro-Medonte!), but I couldn't find a way to incorporate the shot that sets off the epilogue of the series. What I'm left with is two good ideas for the final fight, one with creative flaws and one with production flaws. There's a solution somewhere in the middle of this problem.
I've been running through episode titles for Episode 6. There's a few I really liked;
i. We Stand On Guard (For Thee); This is the main one I liked. One, it's the last phrase in "O' Canada" which I think would make an awesome title. Two, it describes the destination Derek's arrived at in his rivalry with Danielle Parsons. Three, the first episode title is "For Whom the Bell Tolls", which was taken from both an Ernest Hemmingway novel and a 17th century poem by John Donne, which ends in "For Thee". Finally, the pronoun in the title is "We", which doesn't just refer to Derek, but to Riley, Cain, Eddie and Steele who have taken on Derek's cause and given him the encouragement he needs to succeed.
ii. We Stand On Guard; For all the same reasons I liked number one, except that it's shorter and carries the more connotative and ambiguous meaning that Derek has merely become a super hero who will protect... all things that need protecting. It's the less political title of the two.
iii. For Thee; Again, the last words of "O' Canada", the last words of John Donne's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and a reference to why Derek fights. This episode finds Derek in the center of a hornet's test to rescue Eve. Though Derek will eventually fight for preservation of what is Canada, it is Eve who sets him down this path and thus the entire series has been from Derek to Eve, "For Thee".
Send me your input on which one you like the most, or any other title suggestions you may have!
I mentioned above that I've already picked out the songs I'd like to use for Episode 6, regardless of its title, and just to satisfy your curiosity, I'd like to list them;
Tegan and Sara - The Con (The Con, 2007)
Moneen - Don't Ever Tell Locke What He Can't Do (The Red Tree, 2006)
Metric - Gold, Guns, Girls (Fantasies, 2009)
Matthew Good Band - Indestructible (Underdogs, 1997)
The Constantines - On to You (Shines a Light, 2003)
Wintersleep - The Archeologist (Welcome to the Night Sky, 2007)
and maybe
Joel Plaskett - Extraordinary (Truthfully, Truthfully, 2003)
Hope that's enough to interest you in what Episode 6, and in a sense, the whole miniseries will shape out to be. I can't express enough how excited I am to tackle Episode 6 in its entirety, but for now, I'll continue with Episode 5 and give you updates whenever I can.
I had a pretty lousy day today, but it was Monday, so what can you expect? Here's a link to a cheesey band who doesn't realize it's not 1980 anymore - but that doesn't mean the song isn't awesome and relevant to my optimism. Except its a crappy live version - so DEAL WITH IT.
Peace and love ya'll.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Canada's Health Care
I'd like to first introduce this entry by saying it has nothing to do with the show. It will also not count towards the 8 remaining posts I'd like to have done by the end of the month. This may also be considered somewhat of a political post; I'd like to at least address that this is my personal perspective and shouldn't necessarily reflect that of any other individual.
I spent about an hour on youtube yesterday under the search string "town hall outburst". The town halls refer to the public meetings that the Obama Administration has organized in order to have a dialogue with the general public on the sweeping health care reforms. In a nutshell, the nation's health institution will become much more akin to Canada's. In these videos are not only clueless rednecks and selfish do-nothings, more importantly, there's a lot of misinformation being said about Canada's health care.
Shona Holmes, from Hamilton, Canada suffered from a brain tumor and wasn't receiving the treatment she felt she required. A trip to the Mayo clinic and $100, 000 later and she was all better. She seized the opportunity to gain media exposure, trashing her nation's health care in light of her experiences. There's absolutely nothing wrong with her feeling the way she does. She's obviously had a bad experience and it's no lie that a system that serves 31, 000, 000 citizens has a few flaws and horror stories.
I, Dustin Bell, from Shanty Bay, Canada, don't suffer from a brain tumor. I've never had any serious illnesses, but I have been to the hospital a few times for what I'll call... stupid things. Here's what the Canadian health institution has offered me; friendly and capable nurses; compassionate and professional doctors and a completely satisfying experience in which I've never, ever, felt that I didn't receive the care I required. I had to wait in the waiting room for a few hours. Wah. I wanted someone to call 9wahwah for a whambulance, but I had a feeling that would just lead to a big circle. I was drunk. The point is, as an average individual, I've never felt let down by the institution in any way. Never had my faith shaken. Confident that if I needed to go right now, this instant, to the hospital, I would be taken care of before sunrise. It depends on how many people have been cut by beer bottle class tonight. Oh yeah, did I mention it's FREE? Like go to the bar with $200.00, spend it all and wake up in the hospital without a bill FREE.
The biggest issue between the American and Canada health institutions isn't in its bureaucracy, or its market value or the degree of government administration - it's in its philosophy.
The Canadian government generally acts on altruistic and egalitarian principles. As a nation, we believe in the equal value of every human, regardless of their appearance or societal value, and we believe in helping those less privledged even at the cost of self-interest. Americans are generally comparable to utilitarianists, or ethical egoists. They believe in the greatest good for the greatest amount of people, or the pursuit of their own individual interests. Their health care system is modelled after those ideals.
There's obviously a lot of in-fighting going on because this isn't just a change in health care policy - it's a change in their philosophical ideals. Obama won on a platform that included introducing sweeping reforms into the way the nation simply - was. I don't think a lot of people actually anticipated that change requires change.
For what it's worth I do hope that the 47, 000, 000 that are currently without health care insurrance in America do become part of a system that demonstrates altruistic values. I also just thought it was important that I share my experiences with the Canadian health care system and hope it finds some way into American hands/eyes and provides some insight.
Thanks everyone for reading and I hope this encourages you to share your own experiences - they may become important in stopping the minority opinion becoming the major story on CNN.
I spent about an hour on youtube yesterday under the search string "town hall outburst". The town halls refer to the public meetings that the Obama Administration has organized in order to have a dialogue with the general public on the sweeping health care reforms. In a nutshell, the nation's health institution will become much more akin to Canada's. In these videos are not only clueless rednecks and selfish do-nothings, more importantly, there's a lot of misinformation being said about Canada's health care.
Shona Holmes, from Hamilton, Canada suffered from a brain tumor and wasn't receiving the treatment she felt she required. A trip to the Mayo clinic and $100, 000 later and she was all better. She seized the opportunity to gain media exposure, trashing her nation's health care in light of her experiences. There's absolutely nothing wrong with her feeling the way she does. She's obviously had a bad experience and it's no lie that a system that serves 31, 000, 000 citizens has a few flaws and horror stories.
I, Dustin Bell, from Shanty Bay, Canada, don't suffer from a brain tumor. I've never had any serious illnesses, but I have been to the hospital a few times for what I'll call... stupid things. Here's what the Canadian health institution has offered me; friendly and capable nurses; compassionate and professional doctors and a completely satisfying experience in which I've never, ever, felt that I didn't receive the care I required. I had to wait in the waiting room for a few hours. Wah. I wanted someone to call 9wahwah for a whambulance, but I had a feeling that would just lead to a big circle. I was drunk. The point is, as an average individual, I've never felt let down by the institution in any way. Never had my faith shaken. Confident that if I needed to go right now, this instant, to the hospital, I would be taken care of before sunrise. It depends on how many people have been cut by beer bottle class tonight. Oh yeah, did I mention it's FREE? Like go to the bar with $200.00, spend it all and wake up in the hospital without a bill FREE.
The biggest issue between the American and Canada health institutions isn't in its bureaucracy, or its market value or the degree of government administration - it's in its philosophy.
The Canadian government generally acts on altruistic and egalitarian principles. As a nation, we believe in the equal value of every human, regardless of their appearance or societal value, and we believe in helping those less privledged even at the cost of self-interest. Americans are generally comparable to utilitarianists, or ethical egoists. They believe in the greatest good for the greatest amount of people, or the pursuit of their own individual interests. Their health care system is modelled after those ideals.
There's obviously a lot of in-fighting going on because this isn't just a change in health care policy - it's a change in their philosophical ideals. Obama won on a platform that included introducing sweeping reforms into the way the nation simply - was. I don't think a lot of people actually anticipated that change requires change.
For what it's worth I do hope that the 47, 000, 000 that are currently without health care insurrance in America do become part of a system that demonstrates altruistic values. I also just thought it was important that I share my experiences with the Canadian health care system and hope it finds some way into American hands/eyes and provides some insight.
Thanks everyone for reading and I hope this encourages you to share your own experiences - they may become important in stopping the minority opinion becoming the major story on CNN.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The Table Read
Unfortunately the table read for Episode 3 has been pushed back again. I'd like to take a moment to talk about disappointments and taking them in stride.
I was informed that people were dropping out of the read last minute for reasons here and there. Furthermore, the venue was going to become increasingly difficult to get to - as a result of cottage traffic. I made the executive decision five days before the reading to cancel it. I'm not going to lie, this is one of the first instances of discouragement and disappointment I've had to deal with on this project. For about 24 hours, I didn't take it that well.
I guess the message I'd like to take away from this cancellation is that everything can't go my way. I haven't put a lot on the line for this project. It's been more or less my baby. I feed and nurture it - but I'm afraid to let other people hold it, see it, etc.. The more people who see it increases the chances of being told that my baby isn't special, isn't beautiful, isn't the best baby in the world. The point of this industry isn't to create something that will transcend those comments - it's to take those comments and either pass them off as unwarranted, or learn from them. Either way, I think this was a lesson in taking criticism and disappointment in stride - and I don't feel like I completely failed or went off the deep end. That being said - there's always room for improvement.
Since then I've thought about ways to make the next dinner even more enjoyable and appealable. I think scheduling the dinner close to the end of the summer was difficult for the academics in my social circle to accomodate; furthermore, it can be difficult to get out to Barrie/Oro - especially on the weekends with traffic. I also admit I wasn't as prepared as I'd like to be for the dinner itself. It was going to come together very last minute.
So what have I been up to since the cancellation? Not a lot unfortunately. I've been spending about 3-4 hours a day at Rogers TV working master control for the First Local News. This is a different experience than videography, and something I think I enjoy a little less than camera work. The switchboard is fun - something I think that will hold relevance in my future work. I've also been learning VTR (which is like a fancy 5-deck VCR, with more controls) and audio. I don't take the opportunities I should to learn more about audio (the soundboard, microphones, etc), because its probably the most relevant skill I'd need to work on for the show.
A few weeks ago I'd asked a friend, L.B. to complete a little assignment for me on Ontario/Canada arts and small business grants. She'd sent me the file last week and I'd wanted to thank her in person before I mentioned it here; but thank you very much again, L.B..
Though I feel like there's a lot of work I'd personally like to dedicate to the show, there are obviously things that fall into the specialized fields of other people, and I'll never be able to complete the work as efficiently as they can. As I move closer and closer to production on Episode 1, I begin to realize just how many other people are going to be involved on this project. I talk a lot about starting "my" production company. Though it'll be mine in the sense that I started it, I have to become more comfortable that the production of the pilot won't belong to just me. In keeping with the baby metaphor - it takes a family to raise a baby. So far, I'm just a single parent.
There are some goals this month I'd like to meet and maybe I can start nailing them down post-by-post. I'm still aiming to have eight more posts this month, bringing the total to a record-setting ten. I'd like to have a concrete vision for the rescheduled table read. I'd like to have episode 5 finished and the dilemma on 5 and 6 resolved. I'd like to have begun applying for grants. I'd like to have selected a crew that's available to work. I'd like to track down a cost-friendly solution to studio-space and sets. I'd like to increase my twitter profile and get myself more attention on that venue.
I think what I'd ultimately like to happen this month is to make the ultimate decision of whether SOUNDTRACK will be my full-time job, or my part-time hobby. So far I've been leaning towards the latter, but a project this big deserves more than a recreationalist. It deserves a professional.
I'd like to close off by thanking everyone so much for their continued support, both on the project and on this blog. Thank you everyone who was planning on attending the table read, but had to drop out for various reasons. I'm not so infallible that I'm without emotional reaction - but I truly understand that things can't always come up Dustin.
I hope everyone's enjoying the changes in weather, the rest of their week and the summer that's coming to a close.
I was informed that people were dropping out of the read last minute for reasons here and there. Furthermore, the venue was going to become increasingly difficult to get to - as a result of cottage traffic. I made the executive decision five days before the reading to cancel it. I'm not going to lie, this is one of the first instances of discouragement and disappointment I've had to deal with on this project. For about 24 hours, I didn't take it that well.
I guess the message I'd like to take away from this cancellation is that everything can't go my way. I haven't put a lot on the line for this project. It's been more or less my baby. I feed and nurture it - but I'm afraid to let other people hold it, see it, etc.. The more people who see it increases the chances of being told that my baby isn't special, isn't beautiful, isn't the best baby in the world. The point of this industry isn't to create something that will transcend those comments - it's to take those comments and either pass them off as unwarranted, or learn from them. Either way, I think this was a lesson in taking criticism and disappointment in stride - and I don't feel like I completely failed or went off the deep end. That being said - there's always room for improvement.
Since then I've thought about ways to make the next dinner even more enjoyable and appealable. I think scheduling the dinner close to the end of the summer was difficult for the academics in my social circle to accomodate; furthermore, it can be difficult to get out to Barrie/Oro - especially on the weekends with traffic. I also admit I wasn't as prepared as I'd like to be for the dinner itself. It was going to come together very last minute.
So what have I been up to since the cancellation? Not a lot unfortunately. I've been spending about 3-4 hours a day at Rogers TV working master control for the First Local News. This is a different experience than videography, and something I think I enjoy a little less than camera work. The switchboard is fun - something I think that will hold relevance in my future work. I've also been learning VTR (which is like a fancy 5-deck VCR, with more controls) and audio. I don't take the opportunities I should to learn more about audio (the soundboard, microphones, etc), because its probably the most relevant skill I'd need to work on for the show.
A few weeks ago I'd asked a friend, L.B. to complete a little assignment for me on Ontario/Canada arts and small business grants. She'd sent me the file last week and I'd wanted to thank her in person before I mentioned it here; but thank you very much again, L.B..
Though I feel like there's a lot of work I'd personally like to dedicate to the show, there are obviously things that fall into the specialized fields of other people, and I'll never be able to complete the work as efficiently as they can. As I move closer and closer to production on Episode 1, I begin to realize just how many other people are going to be involved on this project. I talk a lot about starting "my" production company. Though it'll be mine in the sense that I started it, I have to become more comfortable that the production of the pilot won't belong to just me. In keeping with the baby metaphor - it takes a family to raise a baby. So far, I'm just a single parent.
There are some goals this month I'd like to meet and maybe I can start nailing them down post-by-post. I'm still aiming to have eight more posts this month, bringing the total to a record-setting ten. I'd like to have a concrete vision for the rescheduled table read. I'd like to have episode 5 finished and the dilemma on 5 and 6 resolved. I'd like to have begun applying for grants. I'd like to have selected a crew that's available to work. I'd like to track down a cost-friendly solution to studio-space and sets. I'd like to increase my twitter profile and get myself more attention on that venue.
I think what I'd ultimately like to happen this month is to make the ultimate decision of whether SOUNDTRACK will be my full-time job, or my part-time hobby. So far I've been leaning towards the latter, but a project this big deserves more than a recreationalist. It deserves a professional.
I'd like to close off by thanking everyone so much for their continued support, both on the project and on this blog. Thank you everyone who was planning on attending the table read, but had to drop out for various reasons. I'm not so infallible that I'm without emotional reaction - but I truly understand that things can't always come up Dustin.
I hope everyone's enjoying the changes in weather, the rest of their week and the summer that's coming to a close.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Watchmaker
It's already August 9th; the table read for Episode 3 is this coming Saturday and this week is all about getting that prepared.
I'll be reviewing the script tomorrow through Tuesday, getting final numbers for attendance and then getting prepared for the dinner itself later in the week. Believe it or not this is going to be a ... long week.
I've been filming a bit more for Rogers TV recently. Saw the Barrie Baycats beat Kitchener and move on to the Intercounty Baseball Semi-Finals. Also did a Celebrate the County shoot in Heritage Park. Apparently Barrie has a small Carribana festival, and a steele drum band was playing in the park. It's actually quite a nice area and depending on how the footage is edited, you might see one of the better-kept areas of Barrie. I believe it's on Saturdays at 5pm on Rogers TV, which is channels 10 and 53 on cable. Barrie OHL starts up soon too, and I think there would be something challenging about filming hockey, so I'm excited to be signing up for that. Plus, it gets me into every Barrie Colts home game this season.
I've been writing Episode 5 lately, and have been wrestling with the idea of combining Episodes 5 and 6 together. I'm not confidant that I have enough material to actually make a 45 page script for Episode 6, but I'm sure that overlapping the plots of both would come out to longer than 45 minutes. It's actually been quite the dilemma that hasn't exactly been resolved.
Episode 5 is coming along great so far. It's the first opportunity I've had to characterize Danielle 'Lidless' Parsons as a tragic villain. I had always intended to her to be ruthless, yet sympathetic. Furthermore, the 'plot' of the show has always been about her political machinations, which are revealed in Episode 5. Though it's fun to write, there's also some critical thinking that has to go into this script that isn't exactly present in its predecessors.
Been doing some local travelling lately; was up in the Blue Mountains last weekend and managed to catch the sunrise from a particularly nice view. Was also doing some very-local sight-seeing at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, located in Oro-Medonte. I mention these because I think there's a lot of potential in showing the natural resources of this area in the show. Though there's plenty of shows filmed in and around this area, very few shows take place here. I think it would be fun to try and incorporate the Blue Mountains into the narrative of the show somehow, maybe further down the line, just to have an excuse to go out and film there.
I had intended to have August be my big month for blogging, but in full compliance with the law of economics, as a recently laid-off individual, I enjoy spending money I don't have on things I don't need. This involves a lot of unproductive days. I'll do my best to get a full eight blogs out over the next 23 days and see if I can't make that goal of having August be the most productive month for the blog.
Think that's gonna wrap things up for tonight. Hope you all had good weekends despite the return of the wet weather.
I'll be reviewing the script tomorrow through Tuesday, getting final numbers for attendance and then getting prepared for the dinner itself later in the week. Believe it or not this is going to be a ... long week.
I've been filming a bit more for Rogers TV recently. Saw the Barrie Baycats beat Kitchener and move on to the Intercounty Baseball Semi-Finals. Also did a Celebrate the County shoot in Heritage Park. Apparently Barrie has a small Carribana festival, and a steele drum band was playing in the park. It's actually quite a nice area and depending on how the footage is edited, you might see one of the better-kept areas of Barrie. I believe it's on Saturdays at 5pm on Rogers TV, which is channels 10 and 53 on cable. Barrie OHL starts up soon too, and I think there would be something challenging about filming hockey, so I'm excited to be signing up for that. Plus, it gets me into every Barrie Colts home game this season.
I've been writing Episode 5 lately, and have been wrestling with the idea of combining Episodes 5 and 6 together. I'm not confidant that I have enough material to actually make a 45 page script for Episode 6, but I'm sure that overlapping the plots of both would come out to longer than 45 minutes. It's actually been quite the dilemma that hasn't exactly been resolved.
Episode 5 is coming along great so far. It's the first opportunity I've had to characterize Danielle 'Lidless' Parsons as a tragic villain. I had always intended to her to be ruthless, yet sympathetic. Furthermore, the 'plot' of the show has always been about her political machinations, which are revealed in Episode 5. Though it's fun to write, there's also some critical thinking that has to go into this script that isn't exactly present in its predecessors.
Been doing some local travelling lately; was up in the Blue Mountains last weekend and managed to catch the sunrise from a particularly nice view. Was also doing some very-local sight-seeing at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, located in Oro-Medonte. I mention these because I think there's a lot of potential in showing the natural resources of this area in the show. Though there's plenty of shows filmed in and around this area, very few shows take place here. I think it would be fun to try and incorporate the Blue Mountains into the narrative of the show somehow, maybe further down the line, just to have an excuse to go out and film there.
I had intended to have August be my big month for blogging, but in full compliance with the law of economics, as a recently laid-off individual, I enjoy spending money I don't have on things I don't need. This involves a lot of unproductive days. I'll do my best to get a full eight blogs out over the next 23 days and see if I can't make that goal of having August be the most productive month for the blog.
Think that's gonna wrap things up for tonight. Hope you all had good weekends despite the return of the wet weather.
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