9.24.2004
PRODUCING HELL!!!
A week ago I took on this project. "A simple music video. Oh it'll be easy. We already hired the DP. He's hiring his own crew, and taking care of getting all of the equipment. Don't even worry about that part." Last night I find out that the DP's crew budget is 90% of the entire budget, and his equipment budget is an additional 80% of the entire budget, for a whopping total of 170% of what we have to spend. So guess who had one day to hire a crew and pull together all of the equipment? I had the phone to my ear nonstop from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., sometimes two phones going at once. Hire a crew, find all the lighting and grip equipment that the DP needs, including jimmy jib and operator, dolly and track, sachtler fluid head with special mounts, negotiate equipment buyout fees with the studio, fax credit apps for everyone, with a deadline of 3:00 p.m. to get all vendors in place in order to get insurance certs out to everyone in time for equipment pickups. So of course after the 3:00pm deadline, I get a call from the DP telling me that in order for his HD cam to work with the Jimmy Jib, he has to have this special adapter, a certain Miranda MDC700 downconverter. I call my insurance person. "Please, please, please can you issue me one more insurance cert?" "Okay, you got fifteen minutes." So I got both phones going. One dialing a vendor while I'm talking to another. I had to call six vendors to find one that had it available for Monday, BUT I FOUND IT within fifteen minutes! At the end of the day, the crew and equipment budget are less than 50% of the total budget. Now if they had just let me find the locations, I could have really saved them some money. What's really crazy is that I actually love producing, even though I hate talking on the phone!?!? Does that make any sense at all?
This was me TODAY!
On a lighter note, last night was exactly one year from the day of my first date with Mark! Good memories. Right now he is still in New York, but when he called me from this crazy Hungarian Bar just to tell me that he wished I was there, he really made my day... the little things make all the difference.
Another great work of art by Richie Fahey.
A week ago I took on this project. "A simple music video. Oh it'll be easy. We already hired the DP. He's hiring his own crew, and taking care of getting all of the equipment. Don't even worry about that part." Last night I find out that the DP's crew budget is 90% of the entire budget, and his equipment budget is an additional 80% of the entire budget, for a whopping total of 170% of what we have to spend. So guess who had one day to hire a crew and pull together all of the equipment? I had the phone to my ear nonstop from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., sometimes two phones going at once. Hire a crew, find all the lighting and grip equipment that the DP needs, including jimmy jib and operator, dolly and track, sachtler fluid head with special mounts, negotiate equipment buyout fees with the studio, fax credit apps for everyone, with a deadline of 3:00 p.m. to get all vendors in place in order to get insurance certs out to everyone in time for equipment pickups. So of course after the 3:00pm deadline, I get a call from the DP telling me that in order for his HD cam to work with the Jimmy Jib, he has to have this special adapter, a certain Miranda MDC700 downconverter. I call my insurance person. "Please, please, please can you issue me one more insurance cert?" "Okay, you got fifteen minutes." So I got both phones going. One dialing a vendor while I'm talking to another. I had to call six vendors to find one that had it available for Monday, BUT I FOUND IT within fifteen minutes! At the end of the day, the crew and equipment budget are less than 50% of the total budget. Now if they had just let me find the locations, I could have really saved them some money. What's really crazy is that I actually love producing, even though I hate talking on the phone!?!? Does that make any sense at all?
This was me TODAY!
On a lighter note, last night was exactly one year from the day of my first date with Mark! Good memories. Right now he is still in New York, but when he called me from this crazy Hungarian Bar just to tell me that he wished I was there, he really made my day... the little things make all the difference.
Another great work of art by Richie Fahey.
9.18.2004
Just call me a busy bee!! I have been making lists, and checking things off left and right! From reorganizing my entire house, cleaning out all the closets, and taking about 15 bags to Goodwill. Laying new floortiles in my kitchen. Getting my passport. Interviewing for jobs (and getting them). I'm producing a music video for Mansour, an Iranian vocalist. He's very good! And directing another very short film in October. Writing scripts (and making good progress). Research, research, and more research for my upcoming short film set in the 1940s. I've been bidding on vintage stuff from Ebay, set up an ebay Seller account, a Paypal account. Joined Netflix! Yeah! That will be really cool. Hiking almost everyday. It's not quite the same without my hiking partner! He will hopefully be back from his world travels in a few days!
Here's a great vintage poster that I found at Vintagearte.com
That's me in the red hair drinking a glass of wine!
Here's a great vintage poster that I found at Vintagearte.com
That's me in the red hair drinking a glass of wine!
9.12.2004
It's been a day of watching movies, hiking, getting inspired and writing scripts. I finally found a DVD rental place in Burbank that has interesting movies... not just the typical commercial crap. Today I found a great little french film called "La Femme Nikita", directed by Luc Besson.
Now I have to get back to work on my little haunted house script. I'm very excited about it. Here is some of my inspiration.
The Gothic Barbie
Now I have to get back to work on my little haunted house script. I'm very excited about it. Here is some of my inspiration.
The Gothic Barbie
9.08.2004
Life has been a bit crazy lately. I think it's time to stop and smell the flowers for a bit. Tonight I hiked up to the top of the mountains behind my house and watched an amazing sunset. As the sun sank, the long, stretched out clouds looked as if they had been dipped in 24k gold, and the bigger billowy clouds went from a deep grey blue to purple to bright orange, and then finally edged in bright gold, all set in a background of bright blue. I sat in awe, trying to commit the sight to memory. One of those amazing and memorable moments that you never want to end.
But all great moments eventually come to an end. My sweetheart is in Tierra Del Fuego, Chile, filming Rheas and Gaunacos and icebergs. The other side of the world. He won't be back for a month. I was dreading his leaving. I remember two days before he left, I woke up early, and just looked at his peaceful, sleeping face in the early morning light, knowing he would be gone soon. And just like with the sunset, I tried to commit every detail of his face to my memory, so that I could still see him vividly in my mind when he was gone. And I wanted that moment to last forever... But of course, time always moves on. And with time, comes change. Change is a bitch, isn't it? Here is an awesome poem about change by one of my favorite poets; Rabindranath Tagore, a great indian poet, 1861-1941.
Nothing lasts forever
No one lives forever
Keep that in mind, and love
Our life is not the same old burden
Our path is not the same long journey
The flower fades and dies
We must pause to weave perfection into music
Keep that in mind, and love
My beloved, in you I find refuge
Love droops towards its sunset
To be drowned in the golden shadows
Love must be called from its play
And love must be born again to be free
Keep that in mind, and love
My beloved, in you I find refuge
Without seeing my love, I cannot sleep
Let us hurry to gather our flowers
Before they are plundered by the passing winds
It quickens our blood and brightens our eyes
To snatch kisses that would vanish
If we delayed
Our life is eager
Our desires are keen
For time rolls by
Keep that in mind, and love
My beloved, in you I find refuge
Beauty is sweet for a short time
And then it is gone
Knowledge is precious
But we will never have time to complete it
All is done and finished
In eternal heaven
But our life here is eternally fresh
Keep that in mind, and love
~Tagore
"Let our wild and hungry kisses set the world on fire" ~Tagore
But all great moments eventually come to an end. My sweetheart is in Tierra Del Fuego, Chile, filming Rheas and Gaunacos and icebergs. The other side of the world. He won't be back for a month. I was dreading his leaving. I remember two days before he left, I woke up early, and just looked at his peaceful, sleeping face in the early morning light, knowing he would be gone soon. And just like with the sunset, I tried to commit every detail of his face to my memory, so that I could still see him vividly in my mind when he was gone. And I wanted that moment to last forever... But of course, time always moves on. And with time, comes change. Change is a bitch, isn't it? Here is an awesome poem about change by one of my favorite poets; Rabindranath Tagore, a great indian poet, 1861-1941.
Nothing lasts forever
No one lives forever
Keep that in mind, and love
Our life is not the same old burden
Our path is not the same long journey
The flower fades and dies
We must pause to weave perfection into music
Keep that in mind, and love
My beloved, in you I find refuge
Love droops towards its sunset
To be drowned in the golden shadows
Love must be called from its play
And love must be born again to be free
Keep that in mind, and love
My beloved, in you I find refuge
Without seeing my love, I cannot sleep
Let us hurry to gather our flowers
Before they are plundered by the passing winds
It quickens our blood and brightens our eyes
To snatch kisses that would vanish
If we delayed
Our life is eager
Our desires are keen
For time rolls by
Keep that in mind, and love
My beloved, in you I find refuge
Beauty is sweet for a short time
And then it is gone
Knowledge is precious
But we will never have time to complete it
All is done and finished
In eternal heaven
But our life here is eternally fresh
Keep that in mind, and love
~Tagore
"Let our wild and hungry kisses set the world on fire" ~Tagore
