Archive Eleven
January 3,
2006 - A New Year -
New
challenges and opportunities to chew on, and what, to swallow or
spit out? Or just new dreams and hopes to really fight
for?...
Well, a
fresh year has arrived, making way for us to hope all those dreams
we want to happen will take hold, spring into action and come to
fruition. I had been magically hoping that starting this
year up here at Mt. Shasta would signal such a happening with my
film project (where I'm currently writing this and plan to shoot
it). However, by being up here, I only recently discovered
that new events may have an effect on these hopes and dreams ...
We own a
house with fifteen acres up here, and where quite a bit of the
film will be shot. But guess what? Just like
everywhere else, even progress marches on here. Meaning, we
just got wind of a new 45-acre, 42-unit development that will
border a large piece of our property. We bought this
out-of-the-way place to escape exactly that, and now we're going
to be right smack in the middle of it. Sheesh, paradise
paved over? ...
But even
beyond that, the tranquil environment here I had planned to shoot
within may be disrupted and even destroyed. Possibly even
affecting whether I can do the project here at all. Damn it,
what a new year surprise. Well, the war has barely started,
but it may be time to button down the hatches, raise a clarion
call and spring into action ...
Tomorrow
night, the first round begins. There is going to be a public
hearing by the local Planning Commission about this whole issue,
and it seems a couple people have already brought up some
problematic issues. So, we'll see what happens. Even
if we didn't get a white Christmas down in the south land, we sure
got a white New Year up here in the north land. Maybe there
is hope yet ...
256 days
and counting ...
J-Alden
January 9, 2006
- Various -
Some
odds and ends from here and there ...
Just got
back from a relaxing time up at Mt. Shasta. She's got a
beautiful new white dress now and is quite impressive. Now
back to work ...
Recently
went over my script again to take in the script analyst's
comments. Some of them hit the mark, but others don't quite
gel with me. It's obvious a serious discussion is in order
with him soon ...
Been
trying to catch up with some of the techie news, which could
possibly apply to my little venture; anyway, the
Consumer
Electronics Show of last week being one, and this week
Macworld, which
I actually had considered going to. There's all kinds of
news coming out of both events ...
Can this
digital camera be for
real? You gotta check this out. Rumors are flying on
this one ...
So, been
thinking maybe I should go and check out
Vongo, this new film download
site. Course, while I'm on the topic, guess I should mention
Movielink. And in a
similar vein,
Google Video
now has their service going (in beta). You can buy and
download videos or even upload your own videos there. Hhhmmm,
maybe you (I) should see what it's all about ...
One final
note. Just got my latest edition of
Indie Slate, and guess
what? According to them, my film project just wrapped.
Yep, right there in page 45. Wow, that's news to me.
Guess I need to inform them they jumped the gun a bit. If
only it was that easy to pull off ...
250 days
and counting ...
J-Alden
January 15, 2006
- Various, Again -
More
little
odds, ends and pieces to pick up ...
Well, we
got more bad news up at the Shasta house location. Our
caretaker called us this weekend in the middle of the night to
tell us that someone broke into our house and stole a bunch of
stuff. Crapola. Anyway, I've got to drop everything
and head up (about a 10 hour drive from here) there, get an
inventory of what's missing, get back to the police and figure out
some better security to prevent a repeat of this. Boy, first
the development going in right next to us and now this.
Getting to feel like a jinxed situation. Or maybe a test of
my resolve? ...
Took
another serious, more objective look at the script and spotted a
couple of glaring problems with both the last part of the second
act and the main character. Yup, I need some serious
rewriting there. And wow, I'm getting a bit close to when I
had wanted to start the shoot (6/15), and (8/15) at the latest.
It starts getting fairly cool up there by late August, early
September ...
This
always happens when I get hot and heavy into one project.
Another one, which was quite dormant for a while, starts talking
to me. This time it's a novel I been banging around on for a
few years. Now all of a sudden I'm really feeling it, and
it's becoming more demanding. What's a writer to do?
Just keep pumping it out. Right? What else is there to
do. Sometimes it just seems there's a monkey on my back, and
if I write enough it falls off for awhile. But once I feel
that weight again, I know it's time to get hot and heavy with it
...
244 days
and counting ...
J-Alden
Comments -- The
Angry Filmmaker is hitting the road...again! -- 1/18
It's 2006 and I'm
still ANGRY! You gotta love consistency...
So what's up? I have named the new tour for 2006. It is... The
Angry Filmmaker's "Frankly Hollywood, I don't give a damn!" Tour
2006. Like I said, I'm still Angry, just look at what's been
coming out of Hollywood lately. No wonder their numbers are down.
I want to thank all of those people who helped me come up with
names, and those who helped me decide.
Now the important stuff. I am heading to the UK in February. I
am in Dublin the week of February 13th, (screenings and lectures
to be announced), at the macrobert in Stirling, Scotland, (Feb
21-23) and Calendar House in Fallkirk, Scotland (Feb 24). Then
it's on to London. I'm waiting to hear back from some other
venues, so I will be announcing a lot more UK dates shortly.
I am also booking the Spring US Tour and those dates are starting
to fill up, March 13th thru Memorial Day. If you want to talk to
me about booking, please drop me a line.
You know I want to see you all...
Angrily yours,
Kelley
www.angryfilmmaker.com
January 21, 2006
- Blogging -
Pouring it out all over the web ...
When I
originally decided to do this blog, I just wanted a diary of the
process I was going through, getting from point A to point Z.
Never having any idea what was going to transpire, just going with
the moment. That's what diaries are, right? ...
Well,
lately I've gotten a few emails from some of you out there wanting
to know why I don't do my blog like everyone else. You know,
where the style and type and ease of posting is all set up nice
and pretty. Well, I've never been accused of doing things
like most others do, so guess what, I don't intend to start now in
my 'old' age. Got that? I didn't get into blogging
just for the sake of blogging. It's just an offshoot of my
prime activity, which of course is my little digital film project.
Okay? ...
It does
amaze me, though. I mean, all the millions and bazillions of
blogs nowadays. It seems those who don't have one are part
of the minority. Course now, the video blogs are the big
deal. Maybe once I get some intriguing footage I'll throw
that up on my blog, and we'll see what that looks like. And
no, it won't look like what everyone is doing. Born a rebel,
live a rebel, die a rebel ...
238 days
and counting ...
J-Alden
January 28, 2006
- A Sample -
A tasty, tiny morsel ...
A few
people have asked me about the script lately, so first I thought
I'd just throw out the first page here. And yes, more
discussions to follow, about the script and where it's headed ...
DREAMS AWAKE
FADE IN:
EXT. MOUNTAIN BIRDS EYE P.O.V. DAY
A monument to vertical creation and spiritual longing, majestic
MT. SHASTA captivates
the
imagination.
MUSIC - orchestral ... ethereal ... angelic ...
SERIES OF SHOTS
1. Mellifluous flight around the mountain dances in unison with
the MUSIC...
2. Soar roll bank in serene ecstasy...
3. A distant MOAN breaks the spell disrupts the flow of flight
then smoothes out...
4. Another MOAN, louder, interrupts the flight sputters dips
loses altitude...
5. The POV tilts, switches towards the ground...
6. Louder MOAN POV dives into a spin the ground streams closer
ready to crash
with
force...
7. The MUSIC dies out with the last MOAN just before ground
collision ...
FAST CUT TO:
INT. DARK BEDROOM NIGHT
HOPE JORDAN, 40-ish, tosses - turns - fights a fitful dream ...
MOANS -- her dream
jolts
alive ...
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MOUNTAIN DREAM SEQUENCE DUSK
Mt. Shasta shines in the background ... dreamlike ... magical.
Foreground - shadows
move
on a wooden deck.
A musical, high-tonal VOICE emerges from the wind.
LADYS VOICE (V.O.)
Where were you when time was made?
When the gods had games they played?
231 days
and counting ...
J-Alden
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