Spain Rules, Too!

Yeah, and following in the footsteps of other awesome countries, Spain continues to make progressive changes.

Canada Rules!

Rejoice in the Union of Loving and Devoted Couples!

As is typical of how things go, our progressive and peaceful neighbors to the north just prove once more that they're simply all-around cooler and more advanced a group of people than Americans are at this point in history.

Compromise

I've found that instead of starting a separate blog or journal or diary, I can simply not publish certain posts. Expect to see an unhindered continuation of the postings on this particular blog - from time to time there may be an abnormal gap, but that may or may not imply that what has happened has been an unpublished "shadow post."

Continue reading dearest family and friends!

Posit

I never intended that this blog be used as a means of keeping those people who aren't a part of my daily life informed as to how things are going for me from day-to-day, but it seems that now many of my family and friends use this website as a means of keeping track of me. This is really in direct conflict with my original intentions when I began this blog.

At the beginning, I had intended to use this space solely as a means of keeping my thoughts organized. It was a little more structured than creating some type of Word document, and it's easier for me to type than to write in a journal. Blogger seemed to me to be the perfect balance of form and function - relatively simple, but with an aesthetic that would keep me interested as I went back over the many months of posting to review my thoughts at various stages of my life.

As the months have passed, however, I've found that I have either a growing fanbase of people interested in the mundane details of the life of a novice filmmaker at NYU or get dozens of hits per day from showing up in the results of Google searches for "Halloween Names" and "Batman Villains."

This alarms me slightly because that shifts the nature of this blog into more of a letter home than a personal diary. At this point, I'm not certain that I will continue to post many more things such as The Interview, as those types of posts are more meant for my benefit than yours. I seek a forum in which I might confide the the quiet whispers in my mind - a place where I can speak freely without concern for who might see them.

I suppose now I will become a writer divided between this world - the light - and the secret forum - the dark. As often seems to be the case, I will embrace my own duality and become the person you see and the person I am inside.

I only say this because the nature of the posts on this particular blog will again begin to resemble the outgoing and enthusiastic posts such as About Me Questionnaire. I hope you aren't too disappointed.

Time Well Spent: Addendum to Batman Begins Review

Typically, in the past, I have held to a strict regulation on determining what films are in my "Top Ten Favorite Films" list. The regulation that is most specific and has not yet been broken is, "One year must have passed from the release date of the film in question for said film to be considered for a spot in the Top Ten."

That rule has now been officially broken. As with the acceleration of the process of making a Saint of Pope John Paul II, the process of becoming a member of the Top Ten has been pushed forward for Batman Begins.

I officially declare, on this date, that Batman Begins is one of the top three films in my Top Ten list.

I wanna go see it again tomorrow.

And My Desires Are Fulfilled

I saw the midnight screening of Batman Begins and I will say this: My desires are fulfilled.

This is the best Batman film ever and will stand as a monument to the ability of good writers and good directors to faithfully and purposefully adapt what many consider to be a bastard form of adolescent literature into a movie that is both emotionally powerful, thoughtfully constructed and id-satisfying.

As Vanessa stated, "It's the thinking man's Batman."

The drive to create a realistic character inside of the expensive armor is readily apparent and plays out very well over the course of the first hour of the film. Those seeking the intensity of cool melee combat may be slightly disappointed by Nolan's up-close, blurred motion fight scenes - but may feel redeemed by his amazing execution of one of the film's finer points: the Batmobile chase.

As a long-time fan of the Batman comics (they were my bedtime stories - and these were Batman comics out of the 80's ... those who read Batman comics understand why this fact is important), I was extremely pleased with how well the main protagonist of the film - Ra's Al Ghul - was handled. Typically relegated to second- or third-class status as a villain, this originally supernatural villain was slickly portrayed by a very skilled actor. (In a week's time, when you've seen the film, this comment will make more sense)

References to rather unknown - though important - characters, and casual references to obscure villains created in Batman's darker, more brutal days from the 80's can be found sporadically throughout the film. I found that Goyer and Nolan were most worthy of my (relatively unimportant) praise when they introduced Dr. Crane at an indictment hearing for the killer known as Zsasz, a brutal serial killer who marks his skin with tallies after each kill. These types of fanboy-only references serve to remind those wary comic-faithful that this franchise is indeed in good hands. This is a good thought to have planted in your mind as you leave the theatre because the setup at the end of the film begs to be played out by this same talented cast and crew.

There is more than just an open-ended transition into the second film (in what is assumed to be a trilogy of films) left on the line here:

If people don't respond warmly to this "thinking man's Batman," the belief and faith of the executives at Warner Brothers might be shaken to the point where they question their decision to put someone as skilled as Nolan in charge of such a monumental franchise. If this indeed becomes the case, then the fans of the comic books will be the ones hurt most as this film represents what all comic book-based films should be - a creatively original, yet faithful, adaptation of a beloved universe of characters.

I can only hope that Chris Nolan, David Goyer, Christian Bale, Alan Horn and all the other major players involved in Batman Begins realize how perfectly this film achieves the task of including all the things that comic book fans really want to see on the big screen ... and then some.

As an encore, I will be seeing the film again tomorrow at an IMAX theatre. I can only hope that my film school brethren will be as pleased as I am with this film. As it stands, I almost don't want to see it with them because this first viewing was just so amazing.

Thank you much, Christopher Nolan and David Goyer, for doing what many claimed was impossible - faithfully adapting Batman to the big screen. And thanks to the cast whose devotion to their characters was apparent in their performances - you all captured the hearts of your characters perfectly. May the second film move quickly into pre-production so that we can see the Chris Nolan's Batman equivalent of Bryan Singer's X-Men 2.

And the Hunt Begins

For an apartment, that is ...

We started the exhasperating process of searching for a new home today. It'd be nice to be looking for houses, but as neither JJ nor myself has a job that pays quite well enough to afford our own stand-alone abode, we're again relegated to seeking moderate-cost comfortability in the Paulus Hook/Newport-Pavonia area.

As our ears began to draw in the sound waves that carried the rising cost of apartments in the area, my brain began to formulate equations that show that in my current working situation, affording any - do note, I say here "any" - apartment in the metropolitan area is out of the question.

So it is with some regret that I inform you - before I inform them tomorrow - that I will be serving my two week notice to Sony, effective as of June 30th (two weeks, two days - just over two months after starting). It's both sad but necessary that I do this, as, while I may not enjoy what I'm doing, I am working "in the industry." A friend said, "Hey, it's a foot in the door." I happen to think it's a "foot in the door ... in the house across the street from the one I want to get into."

It's important now that I make money so that I can live here ... because if I can't pay to live here, I go back to MD and fail. Failure is not an option.

I will leave Sony and do what I need to do to survive here. Because failure is not an option.

I will write my screenplay and I will make my film and I will do whatever it takes to get my film seen ... because failure is not an option.

Leaving Sony is unfortunate, but necessary. If I don't leave, I may fail. And failure is not an option.

The Interview

"What you see isn't always what you get ... At least, not with me."

As we stroll down the waterfront of the Hudson River, in an area of Jersey City known as Paulus Hook, I watch the charismatic young film student from the Baltimore, Maryland, suburb of Linthicum inspect his adopted new surroundings. He's watching the young business types leave the Goldman Sachs building next to his apartment ... watching as they head towards the PATH station and the Ferry, heading back into the city or further out into New Jersey towards home. He walks slowly, as though he has nowhere in particular he wants to be.

"Maybe everyone is like that. Maybe no one is what they seem."

I sense the faux insightfulness of this comment, and as he sighs, my belief is confirmed that he's just saying that to say something. Aside from a few comments like that, he hasn't said much.

What makes you different than how you seem, I ask.

His eyes shift around, uncomfortably, as though something inside him seeks an escape route from this line of conversation. He inhales deeply and holds it. Then he lets the air escape noiselessly, his chest visibly deflating.

"What have you heard about me? What do people say about me?"

I have to think about this. From his friends, I've heard many different things: that he's funny, constantly moving, a great friend, a good listener, very friendly ... and that he can be "very intense sometimes." One of his former coworkers at a small restaurant at which he once waited tables said that his presence on the floor was "something akin to a predator stalking his prey." Not that he was out to hunt anyone; rather, that he was watching for something that might need his attention - a customer in need of a refill, a plate needing to be cleared from a table, or a credit card to be rung up. I tell him about these comments by his peers.

He laughs. And nods.

"I've been told I look angry and intense, yes. And I can be. I'm not really like that for the most part. Not on the outside, anyway."

He pauses and again, his presence changes. Like he's fighting with himself about something.

What do you mean?

"I'm a nice person, most of the time. I try to be, anyway. People say I anger easily - I'm always mad about something. JJ says I worry a lot. My family has told me I need to work on controlling my anger. I'd say that considering what I am dealing with, I'm doing a good job."

That comment was truly insightful. I could sense the depth of meaning there. I want to get him to pursue this line of thought.

What are you dealing with, I ask him.

He stops walking. He turns to look at me, then heads to a bench by the water. We sit down and he stares off at New York City.

"Imagine that, instead of just the frustration you feel when you're angry, imagine that ... you know what I mean when I say 'frustration,' right? You know how you get frustrated and you feel warm because of how the blood, I don't know, boils? I can't explain it any better."

I tell him that I understand. I've been angry before. I have the occasional flash of road rage, complete with hand gestures and horn honking.

"No ... no, not even close. Imagine that instead of just that warm feeling, imagine that your entire being is washed over with a hot madness. That you feel as though a dragon is scorching through your veins and a charred blackness has engulfed you from within. Imagine that all your thoughts and feelings have been replaced by pure and uncontrollable hatred. And imagine that it's like a tidal wave of this emotion crashing into you on the shore. You can't fight that. You can't ride it out. It's the most painful thing you know ... you don't feel anything else but that anger. And I feel it all the time."

For someone as angry as he claims to be, he's pretty calm right now. He looks at me, catching me staring at him. He laughs. I almost think he's joking with me.

"Not right now. I mean it happens a lot. I don't get angry ... things make me mad, stupid superficial things like someone cutting me off or the President saying something really stupid. But that's nothing. It's the really weird things that trigger that feeling. Once, I was heading off on a trip with a friend's family and was traveling with my friend's brother and sister. JJ was with us, and as we were about to leave, I called "Shotgun," cause, you know, I don't know how these guys handle that, but I'm 6'3" or 6'4" - depending on what doctor's office I'm at - and I need the legroom of the front seat. Well, his sister called "Shotgun" earlier that evening ... in the house ... like an hour before we left. The brother wouldn't leave until I gave up the front seat to his sister. She left the seat all the way back and I had no leg room ... for an hour and a half ride. I spent, honestly, forty-five minutes riding out one of those tidal waves of pure hatred."

"I tried to explain that to my friend and JJ later that night, but they don't understand. No one ever understands. Hatred isn't an emotion for me ... it's a state of being. I am not just angry, I am Hate itself."

He's trembling now. Just slightly. His eyes are narrowed to slits and he watches a Water Taxi leave the dock nearby. I don't say anything ... he's doing just fine on his own.

"That's not even the worst part. The worst part is knowing that I get this angry. Imagine how Bruce Banner feels after he has returned to his own self and sees the damage he did as the Incredible Hulk. There's a lot of guilt. And it becomes engulfing, too. You spend a lot of time feeling like the world will hate you in return for what you are, the monster inside."

He stops and turns to look at me, and his face is innocent and very matter of fact.

"I suffer from depression. I never bothered to treat it with like medicine or anything. I saw a counselor for several weeks. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I don't care. This interview is about truth, right? I'm not gonna be one of those guys who thinks every aspect of their life is too private to share - people want to know about me? I'll be honest with them. Then again, I don't want it to sound like I'm complaining about everything. There are tons of people out there who have it a lot worse than I do, or did, or probably ever will. I got lucky ... but I still have my own problems."

What about JJ?

"What about him?"

Well, do you work these problems out with him?

"We ... have our issues from time-to-time. That's every couple, though."

He frowns.

"Oh, you mean do I talk to him about these things? Sometimes ... I don't really talk to anyone about these things. I usually have entire conversations with myself sometimes. They're not productive, but I don't like to drop my problems on other people, even JJ or my family. I deal with these things on my own. I always have ... it's hard to explain to other people what happens when I go through these little cycles."

Someone must understand, though. Other people have these problems, too.

"Maybe."

He gets up and we start walking back towards the apartment. He was busy working on a script for a short film he is working on and didn't want to go too far away; thus our short stroll by the water's edge.

"Maybe other people have these problems. Maybe other people will understand. Sometimes, I think it's worth telling them - it will help them deal with me in these situations. Other times, it seems trivial, not worth bothering them. I love JJ, and it's important that I try to be honest with him and that we help each other when we have problems. But this is different. This is a personal demon that haunts me always ... this is my dragon. I fight this myself. When I get angry, I later feel guilty and fear rejection by other people. This leads to depression and self-loathing. But I always break free ... it's like walking the line between the Light Side and the Dark Side. Knowing those places helps me. For what it's worth, I understand people really well, I think. And knowing the Dark Side of myself lets me write characters with depth - at least I hope it does. Who knows? Maybe I write stupid, superficial characters and I just think they have depth because they're like me."

He laughs and we both watch the Light Rail pass by.

"I don't know. Once I leave those dark places, I feel compelled to accomplish things. I feel motivated. The other extreme in the cycle is a desire to do things, to do important things.

Like making your films?

"Exactly! I leave these cycles with an awareness that if I don't do something, then I really am wasting my time. When I trust myself, I make good choices - I make the right decisions. I've been blessed with a support group of people who encourage me, despite the odds that surround my picks. I have a family that would do anything to help me and a boyfriend who loves me and supports me - what else do I need?"

I sense he is anxious to get back to his apartment and start writing.

You need to get back to work, don't you?

He laughs.

"Yes, I would like to go back up and write some more now."

What will you do when you're done writing?

"Honestly, I don't know ... but I'll figure it out. I always do. I'll get where I need to go."

As I watch him head into the building, I can see from his stride and the intense look in his eyes ... the way he stalks back to his den, just like a forest predator bringing home its prize ... he'll get where he needs to go. Of that, I am certain.

Writing Time

So, as I have bitched and moaned so frequently in the past few weeks about how much work I'm doing and how little money I'm making, I finally decided to reduce my availability to Sony and increase it at Chili's.

I will now have off from Sony on Mondays and Thursdays, and will pick up an evening shift on Mondays at Chili's. This spares me two days of round-trip PATH and MTA fare into the city and about $25-30 in food costs (eating at the cafeteria isn't nearly as cheap as one might expect - especially if you happen to be a still-growing college male).

Even better though is the fact that now I can stay up late on Sunday nights to hold my late-night writing sessions again, as I won't have to get up early on Mondays. The same goes for Wednesday nights. This is going to be exceptionally helpful as my stress level has continued to rise the further I move into the summer without a semi-locked shooting script. As it stands, since I'll have to revise the structure of the entire screenplay, I can't make a preliminary budget or begin scouting for locations.

They say that "a rolling stone gathers no moss." Well, that's all good and well, but it's hard to keep that stone a-rollin' when it's more like a large, jagged boulder being pushed up a steep, unstable mountainside.

However, I'm certain the view from the top will be magnificent, and the large jagged boulder will resemble a work of stunning beauty by the time we reach the summit.

I'm Impressed

What Class of Vampire Am I?

You are an Elite Master, the highest class of vampire. You stand for power and wisdom. Your servants are loyal and numerous. Your overwhelming powers are of a chief element, be it fire, earth, water, etc. You are of a unique few. Be proud.


What class of vampire are you? (more new images!)
brought to you by Quizilla

My Life Path Number

Your Life Path Number Is 8

8 You are focused on learning the satisfactions to be found in the material world. The Life Path 8 produces many powerful, confident and materially successful people. You are apt to be very independent, forceful and competitive. Your routine is involved in practical, down-to-earth affairs, and there is relatively little time for dreams and visions. You will want to use your ambitions, your organizational ability, and your efficient approach to carve a satisfying niche for yourself. Most of your concerns involve money and learning of the power that comes with its proper manipulation. This Life Path is perhaps the one that is the most concerned with and desirous of status, as an accompaniment to material success. You are endowed with tremendous potential for conceiving far-reaching schemes and ideas. You also possess the tenacity and independence to follow them through to completion. In short, you are well-equipped for competition in the business world or in other competitive fields of endeavor. You know how to manage yourself and your environment. You are practical and steady in your pursuit of major objectives, and you have the courage of your convictions when it comes to taking the necessary chances to get ahead. The negative 8 can be dictatorial and often suppresses the enthusiasm and efforts of fellow member of the environment. Often, the strength of their own personality excludes close feelings for other people with whom they come in contact. Material gains and rewards often become issues of utmost importance, even to the neglect of family, home and peace of mind. Dedication to success can become an obsession. Emotional feelings are often suppressed by the negative 8, resulting in isolation and loneliness. All Life Path 8 people must avoid discounting the opinions of others.

What Is Your Life Path Number?

About Me Questionnaire

I stole this from Thurman's blog. I hope he doesn't mind.

1. What is the geekiest part of your music collection?
30th Anniversary James Bond Collection

2. What do you eat when you raid the fridge late at night?
Sherbert Ice Cream

3. What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie?
Moulin Rouge, Field of Dreams, Always, Big Fish, Life as a House, Saving Private Ryan, Titanic

4. If you could have plastic surgery, what would you have done?
No plastic surgery ... I would love to get LAISK surgery done on my eyes, though.

5. Do you have a completely irrational fear?
Losing control of myself and jumping from great heights for no reason.

6. What is the little physical habit that gives away your insecure moments?
I stutter occasionally.

7. Do you like to be on the top or bottom?
Hahaha, wouldn't you like to know ...

8. Do you have too many love interests?
I'm only interested in one love ... film .... Oh, and JJ, too. So two loves. Mostly JJ.

9. Do you know anyone famous?
I'm going to be famous one day ... does that count?

10. Describe your bed:
Two extra long twin beds pushed together with king-size sheets covering them.

11. Spit, swallow or gargle?
Are we talking about brushing or going down on someone?

12. Who would play you in a movie?
Dave Matthews

13. Do you know how to play poker?
Not hold 'em, but the other one - but not very well.

14. What do you carry with you at all times?
Wallet, keys, cell phone.

15. Did you regret the way you lost your virginity?
Nope.

16. Are you happy with your given name?
I would like a cooler name that's more memorable. Maybe if my first and middle names were reversed, that'd be cooler. Ryan David Richardson.

17. How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year?
Give ... up? What does this mean?

18. If you could only fulfill one of your fantasies, which would it be?
I would retain the same rights George Lucas retained when he made Star Wars so that I could create my own massive entertainment company.

19. What was the last song you were listening to?
John Mayer - Comfortable

20. Where is the most public place you have ever had sex?
Back seat of a car in a parking lot of a state park.

21. Have you ever been in love?
I'm in love right now.

22. Do you talk a lot?
I can babble occasionally.

23. What is you favorite sexual position?
Why choose one when there are so many?

24. Do you consider yourself to be a nice person?
I walk the line sometimes. I've been both a really nice person and a really mean bastard.

25. Do you spend more time with your girlfriend/boyfriend or your friends?
Unfortunately, I spend most of my time at work, but outside of those hours I am mostly with JJ.

26. What is your ideal marriage location?
A beach would be nice ...

27. How many sex toys do you have and which is your favorite?
4 ... Aneros

28. Favorite fabric?
Mesh (the ones used in lacrosse shorts)

29. Something you love and hate?
Love: Playing baseball
Hate: Emptying the trash

30. Have you ever been tied up in your bed?
Not yet ... working on it, though.

31. Do you tell your friends about your sex life?
God, that would just freak my friends out.

32. What's the one language you want to learn?
Elvish

33. How do you eat an apple?
Along the hemisphere, then top and bottom.

34. What do you order at a bar?
Fruity drinks ... *sigh* that's where my real "queer" self shows through.

35. Have you ever pierced your body parts?
No

36. Do you have tattoos?
No

37. What is your drug of choice?
Liquor

38. What's one trait you hate in a person?
Dishonesty

39. Ever had same-sex sex?
Have I ever? It's the only kind there is in my book. But what you really wanna know is have I "ever had hetero sex?" Oral, yes; intercourse, no.

40. What was your most frivolous purchase?
Darth Vader Voice-changing Helmet

41. Do you consider yourself materialistic?
He who has the most toys wins. That and the bigger penis. Women don't get to play.

42. What do you cook the best?
Goulash, chili, tacos, steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli

43. Do you prefer to stand out or blend in?
Stand out

44. What kind of books do you like to read?
Good ones ... this question is as dumb as "What kind of films do you want to make?" I like different genres - but the books themselves have to be good. Most of the books I own are Star Wars, though.

45. If you won the lottery, what would you do?
Fund my films so I could make more money to make more films and buy my family the things they want and need.

46. Burial or cremation?
Clone me so I can live forever.

47. Do you have a fetish?
I'm not answering this question.

48. What's one thing you're a loser at?
Music ... I can't play guitar or banjo and I've tried both.

49. How many drinks before you're tipsy?
I've gotten better ... I'd say 5.

50. Do you think you're cute?
I'm fucking adorable.

Change of Pace

Just thought I'd put something light and humorous in here to lift things up a bit ... I know I've been rather moody and irritable lately.

Found this on Bash.org:

A worldwide survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked was:"Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?"

The survey was a huge failure...

In Africa they didn't know what "food" meant.
In Eastern Europe they didn't know what "honest" meant.
In Western Europe they didn't know what "shortage" meant.
In China they didn't know what "opinion" meant.
In the Middle East they didn't know what "solution" meant.
In South America they didn't know what "please" meant.
And in the USA they didn't know what "the rest of the world" meant.

When Life Closes a Door

As shitty as things have been going, apparently I haven't completely earned the scorn of The Man Above.

Tonight I had the mixed blessing of being swamped with customers thanks to a miscalculated early release of about 7 or 8 servers from the restaurant and an unexpected late double-pop of customers.

At about 8:30 or so, the managers released about 8 servers from the restaurant because of how slow it is and the fact that many of them were on double shifts for the day. By 9 o'clock that move proved to be very much a mistake - but a mistake that worked out for the better for me.

Having 6 to 7 tables at a time for about 2 hours, I was able to earn myself well over what I had expected to make for the evening.

It's very nice out tonight, as it was today. I'm just hoping that tomorrow will be as nice ... I plan on doing a good bit of writing (starting at 2 and finishing by 10, hopefully).

All Aboard

Yes, all aboard the boat to Fucked Bigtime. My paycheck didn't come in at work today. I'm going to be $166 shorter than I had planned for the month.

Does this qualify as having put all my eggs in one basket or counting my chickens before they hatch? I fucking hate this bullshit. I should be making more money than I do.

The Secret Video

Here it is, the hitherto unposted delight of probably one of my favorite projects I have ever worked on while at film school: S&S Video Field Documentary #1. (Please Right-Click and Save As ...)

The goal was simple: "Create a short documentary that outlines a process."

I chose the process of cleaning and re-stringing a guitar. However, at the 11th hour, JJ discovered a very large crack winding its way up the neck of his relatively brand new $2k guitar. So instead of re-stringing the guitar, JJ opted to play a song for me instead. I think that if JJ had realized how much of a pain in the ass it would be to make what is essentially a no-budget music video, he might have chosen to re-string the guitar afterall.

We started the project late in the evening, around 8PM, if I'm not mistaken. We were interrupted by a fire drill and finished the project around 2 or 2:30 in the morning. The song, So Damn Lucky by Dave Matthews, was lengthy, as you can observe when you watch the movie, and so doing the song 9 or 10 times over and playing it with any precision each time became a daunting task as the night wore on.

JJ, slightly unsettled by the discovery of a nasty scar on the pretty face of his costly prized possession, took at least two takes to get into the project. After a few more, a lot of his initial energy wore off, as did a lot of mine. While performing a song for the camera under the heat of the lights can be a fatiguing process, constantly battling with overheating equipment and remaining locked in one position (essentially halfway through the motion of an abdominal curl) for six minutes at a time was just as fatiguing - and considerably more painful.

Of the things I dislike about the project, I am extremely disappointed that I didn't take the time or effort to find a better mic for JJ - both of us find that his voice sounds very flat with the equipment and setup I used. I was also somewhat disappointed that, despite having done around 9 or 10 takes, I didn't get a single audio take that was good the entire way through. There was a hitch in each performance at some point - usually around the middle of the song, making it very difficult to edit for performance. As it stands, I believe there is only one place that JJ messes up noticeably and two places where my editing is noticeably crappy.

Of the things I like about the project, I feel that the audio on the guitar was top-notch. I think the entire range of the guitar was captured beautifully with the mic I used. I think the lighting is beautiful - not too harsh, just soft enough to create a tone that matches the vibe of the song nicely. I feel that JJ's playing was excellent in every take even if he forgot a few words in several takes. And I feel that the camera setups were very good. I don't think there's a single shot that I didn't like from the entire evening.

When all is said and done, I think the project was a complete success: I created a video that shows a process. The editing and sound were more than decent, though not perfect. The performance was superb, if again not perfect. And the subject itself was entertaining, though somewhat lengthy. If I recall I got a B+ for the project (I think ... something around that area). I would concur with that grade.

I would very much like to do another project like that in the future.

Baseball

Ray, people will come Ray.

They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.

Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon.

They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

People will come Ray.

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.

Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.

- Field of Dreams (1989)

Twice the Reason Not to Work

I didn't go into work at Sony nor will I go into Chili's tonight because my cold has gotten so bad that between the hacking cough and the hocking loogies my voice has deepened to Barry White levels. And my sunburned skin has begun to shed like hair from a dog - or more appropriately disgusting, like the skin from a snake. Those two reasons make leaving the apartment a less enticing opportunity - I think I'll stay in tonight and try to write. God has given me the gift of a single day in which to rework my carefully crafted opus of a short film. I fully intend to use it.

Doubly Redundant

I'm working on the key city report, or the "redundant report" as I've come to call it. I'm taking information that is broken down by division and putting it into another format that breaks it down into the same divisions. This is neither exciting nor extremely important. This is not what I want to do with the rest of my life. If I don't become a writer or director, I would much rather teach than take a position where I spend my week doing stupid things like this.

All-in-all, the reality of what goes on in a distribution office is numbing insomuch that it surprises me how boring this type of work really is. There's the film industry and there's the film industry, I suppose. Very big distinction there. While a salary would be nice, I think I'd much rather take a job as a teacher in a film program than spend the rest of my days ironing out bookings for movie theatres in parts of the country I would never want to visit.

On a lighter note, I ironed a Stewie Griffin patch onto my bookbag, bringing me into a level of toolishness I don't think anyone I know would have voluntarily entered into. I think it's cool, though.

Since I haven't updated in about a week, it's worth pointing out now that I spent a few nights at the Jersey shore in an area called Lavalette. Brian had a memorial day weekend party and I got sunburned as pink as a pig on Saturday. While the details of the weekend are indeed rather exciting for me, considering that I haven't had a solid vacation in about two years, I feel that to retell the events of the weekend for you now would simply bore the living hell out of you. So I won't bother with that ... the sunburn still itches a bit, though.

I went to make adjustments to my screenplay last week, and haven't touched it since. The entire thing hasn't undergone any major change in over three months. If I plan on shooting in August, I need to get some work done on this thing - the problem is, however, that I have little free time in which I am possesed of the energy required to actually undertake such an important task.