I’m going to direct a short film. It’s called Sonny. It’s about a generous homeless man who loses his only connection to his past but finds a future he could not have imagined. It takes place in present-day Los Angeles.
We’ve got some funds available to make this happen, but we need a little more. Are you able to help me make my dream of being a film director come true? Please visit the IndieGoGo website to see if you feel like a contribution could be in your future.
via Sonny — IndieGoGo.
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Here’s a great press release for our film, written by the excellent Hearth Creative team in Tulsa, Oklahoma!
New Film, New Way of Filmmaking Will Be Showcased at 2010 Los Angeles United Film Festival.
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Here’s one of the characters from our feature film on FOX News in Tulsa OK!
YouTube – Simply Irresistible on Fox 23 Daybreak supporting Make A Wish.
via YouTube – Simply Irresistible on Fox 23 Daybreak supporting Make A Wish.
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Most of you know, in 2008 I was a Producer / Line Producer on a feature film that was shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma called “The Rock ‘n’ Roll Dreams of Duncan Christopher.” It’s a quirky comedy about the brutal underground world of competitive karaoke. We were in post for most of 2009 and now we’re about to have our World Premiere at The Method Fest 2010 – a film festival devoted to the craft of acting and breakout performances in independent films. I’m super excited! And just a little nervous.
It’s my first film festival as a producer and I’m having lots of fun hanging with my fellow filmmakers, meeting new people, and seeing lots of films and amazing performances. After the festival is over, I’ll post photos and more about what the events were like. But now, I’ve got to rush out and get groceries! Not much time today! Our premiere is tonight!!
To keep you satiated, here’s a photo of a group of us at the Welcome Reception on Wednesday night.
From L to R: D.W. Stephens, Peter Bedgood, Lizz Carter, Marshall Bell, Heather Roberts, Justin Monroe, Gillian Fritzsche, Ryan Fritzsche, Jack Roberts. Photo Credit: Rhonnie Curt.
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I had new headshots taken by the lovely and artistic Amy McPherson, one sunny afternoon last week. Amy is an artist through and through and she made this headshot event a time to remember. We were both a little nervous at the beginning, I think. But by the end, magic was happening.
I’m going to post about 40 or so of my favourites to Facebook soon, but in the meantime, here’s a sneak peak! I call this look “Windblown Librarian.”
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When I was in the Act One Executive Program, they offered a class on How to Give Notes to Writers! I thought it was a great class. And when I went through the Writing Program, one year later, I tried to give notes like I’d been taught in that Exec Program class. I also tried to receive notes through the filter of what I’d learned in that class. So not only was it helpful for me as a producer, it became helpful for me as a writer!
I just got my CS Weekly email and this was one of the quotes at the top:
“Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”
- Neil Gaiman
This is good advice for both writers and executives.
As a writer, I need to hear about what’s not working. However, an executive’s assumption about why it’s not working affects his or her perspective about how it should be fixed! Often, only the writer knows why something’s not working. Or, integrity demands of the executive that he or she let the writer figure out why it’s not working. Often the fix isn’t in the scene that isn’t working. Often it’s several pages or scenes back!
So if you’re a writer getting notes, ignore the fixes and try to hear the underlying truth – something’s not working. Figure out what that is, and then figure out how to fix it.
If you’re an executive giving notes, don’t try to do the writer’s job! Just let him or her know that you’re confused on page 7, page 36 doesn’t ring true, and the climax on page 89 falls flat. Often, the writer will already know why it’s falling flat and will already have three ideas for how to fix it. He or she just needed to know whether or not what they wrote worked!
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I recently posted my filmmaker reel on YouTube for all the world to see… on their iPhones! Yay mobile devices! Have you see it yet? No? Here it is!
I’m a big fan of the colour yellow. 
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I’ve been working on a short film script, as a writer. But the objective for this short film has been for me to direct it. Ryan has been gunning to produce again and it’s time for me to direct. So instead of attacking this most recent rewriting period like a writer, I attacked it like a director. I went in with the intention of making this script a script I’d want to direct. And, strangely enough, that helped make this rewriting process even better than usual.
In general, I love the rewriting process. It’s like painting. A little tweak here. Another detail there. Oh! Look how those two scenes tie together better now! And now this detail has meaning! Awesome! But, attacking this pass as a director and not a writer has been interesting. In many ways, it has been even more rewarding! I have begun to visualize things better. I have begun to see meaning where I hadn’t seen meaning before. I even began to see the fluff!
I wonder if I should approach each script I work on as a director (as opposed to a writer). Would that make me a better writer? Or just a really frustrated director…?
Ryan always imagined himself with a coffee shop girl.
But when he married a former McDonald’s employee (that’s right – I worked drive-thru!), he thought he’d have to give up that dream. However, once I got my green card, I needed a quick job before I began the Act One Executive Program. So like a good little Hollywood-hyphenate, I got a job at a coffee shop. One of the best coffee shops! And I learned all I could from them. Once I was done learning, I was also done working for them. And I quit (gasp!). Shortly after that I got a job at a small production company as an exective assistant to the producers and business manager. I’m all about quintessential hollywood jobs, eh?
Anyway, coffee shop girls. There’s something about them. What is it?
Duncan Christopher has an idea.
I even have a cute little green t-shirt that we bought on our honeymoon. It says “Love Street Coffee Shop” on it. I know for a fact that Ryan gets romantical thoughts in his head when I wear it. He can’t help it!
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Here’s a great little EPK the boys have put together. I’m so proud!
Enjoy!
P.S. If you think it looks fun, why not share it with 10s (or 100s!) of your closest friends and family?
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