BrainStorm

To be continued... Elsewhere

2007-10-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

The time has come to migrate my thoughts elsewhere. As any of my loyal readers might have noticed, my posts here have come less and less frequently.

I started this blog in early 2005, to track my progress as a poet and filmmaker. It's carried me through directing and editing my first film and three more, and periodic poetic moments.

It's also witnessed my first film festivals; my first big screenwriting grant courtesy of the Manitoba Arts Council; having fun working on other people's films; my first Canada Day as a Canadian; and my acceptance and attendance at the Canadian Film Centre.

This marks my 101st post, and I appreciate all the comments of support that people have made of the last 2 1/2 years.

I invite you to join me at my new blog: Strong Female Lead. I'll be exploring the presence and use of female characters on television and in film, and occasionally looking at the role of women in The Industry. As appropriate, I will discuss my own projects, but I will also be using email and facebook for those kind of updates. I will report any news regarding Rave Review here.

And if you want to know how else I'm spending my time, check out 101 in 1001 - a project tracking 101 goals in 1001 days (only 958 days left now!).

TIFF!

2007-09-08T18:43:00.000-05:00

The Toronto International Film Festival is underway!

TIFF kicked off officially on Thursday, but I went to my first party on Tuesday night. Six more to go and tickets in hand for 3 screenings, but hope to pick up a couple more. Heading to my first film tomorrow morning - it's called The Visitor, by Thomas McCarthy, the director of the brilliant Station Agent.

So it's an action-packed week. Gotta pace the schmoozing, and stick with the soda water to make it through... What's nice is a few filmmaker and tv friends from other parts of the country are here, so I'll get to hang out with them.

Last year, I just got here in time to catch a film on the last day of the festival. Hard to believe it's been only a year since I got to Toronto. After the festival, I'll be meeting this year's crop of CFC TVers - hard to believe we're replaceable!

And then the season premieres start flying fast and furious. I'm trying to catch up on a few of last year's shows still, and digging into the summer cable shows (Mad Men, Burn Notice).

Meanwhile, prepping for Bump's tour to Scandinavia, then Italy, then South America! Learning an incredible amount on the non-fiction side, but getting back to work on a couple of drama projects too.

And I've brought in an editor to help finish Rave Review. I remember being surprised when I heard about people who took a year or longer to finish a short film, but now I guess I see how it happens! I'm sorry that NSI is cancelling its FilmExchange - that was one place I was hoping to show it....

Podcasted

2007-08-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

The multi-talented Sabine Hikel (writer, editor, cultural theorist) has a new creative project and sucked me in!
University Affairs magazine (the Canadian Chronicle of Higher Education) is publishing Sabine's podcast series on people who left academia, and it kicks off with my story of dropping out of linguistics grad school after only a year. If you've never heard that story, hop on over there and you can hear the whole tale....

Summer Reading and Riding

2007-07-30T03:43:00.000-05:00

Been doing a lot of reading this summer, to balance out all the tv and film watching (I have sooo many shows to catch up on...). Found this brilliant site where you can keep track of what you read (and watch and listen to).

Keeping a list of books I've read reminds me of summer reading programs at the Denver Public Library, where we'd get a little certificate for every set of 8 books. One that sticks in my mind is you'd get a picture of 1/4 of a record and try to collect 4 parts. I'm working on my second record... Current recommendations: MJ Davidson's "Undead Betsy" series and Philip Pullman's "Dark Materials" series.

It's also been awesome there to go through lists like the Rolling Stone top 500 songs, or the Top 500 Country songs of all time. To sit down and really listen to these classics has been mind-expanding.

And I've been using the RS500 to rock my training sessions for my upcoming mini-triathlon on Toronto Island. Did my first back-to-back bikeride and run this weekend, and found out what "hitting the wall" means when my legs rebelled. Good to know for the actual race...

The new job is going quite well. Learning a lot and having fun!

And yes, I am still editing Rave Review! Watch this space for a self-congratulatory post when that's done! But it won't be until after my vacation, wherein I'll get to train in four states!

Let's All Love Toronto/Canada

2007-07-06T06:22:00.000-05:00

Went to see Let's All Hate Toronto last week. Special NFB presentation with the filmmakers. They mentioned that immigrant to the city are often surprised: "What's to hate?"

I have to admit, I'm in that category. So for my post-Canada Day celebration, here a few things I love about Toronto:
- bike lanes!
- one minute you're in big buildings, the next you're in residentia or some big park!
- a zillion restaurants - not an Olive Garden in sight!
- clean, reliable subways (when they say every 3-5 minutes, they mean it!)
- interesting, supportive people
- major ethnic diversity (though LAHT myth-busts the "most diverse city in the world" claim)
- Ginormous Pride parade
- veggie dogs at the street vendors! I finally get to load up my dog!

On "Canada Day Monday" I went to see Sicko. Perfect way to celebrate being Canadian and universally health-cared. I work on contract, so if I had to pay 10 - 15% of that out in private health insurance, I wouldn't be too happy. There's just so much freedom in never having to factor in insurance when deciding where to work, or how many hours. I have so many American friends and relatives who feel constrained by having to keep the job that gives them insurance. Or my niece has to take a certain number of classes next term to keep her mom's insurance.

I would say it's my fave Michael Moore film to date. My favourite part in the film was when people in Canada and Britain actually laughed at Moore when he asked how much their stay in the hospital cost. Highly recommend to folks on both sides of the border!

New Job!

2007-06-23T06:11:00.000-05:00

After lots of knocking on doors and going for coffee, I've landed my first production job. I'm associate producing a travel show called Bump! for OUTtv. Obviously the focus is gay & lesbian travellers! (a festive beginning as it's Pride week here in Toronto and our office is right in the heart of things!)

I've put in my first week and already learned that my personality and skills are well suited to production work. Collecting and organizing all kinds of information, putting it into useful formats, getting in touch with people and bringing them on board, problem-solving, finding alternatives...

And getting to be creative! As the person who researches the cities, I get to shape the skeleton of the show, then flesh it out as I learn more and talk to people, and work with my producer. There is writing involved as well, but it has to be ego-less, as the hosts may completely ignore my script! After we've shot some more episodes, I'll have the opportunity to see how the original concepts fare in the field and then back in the editing suite.

I'm excited to learn all I can about producing, and my producer has promised to give me all the opportunities she can to learn and try my hand at as many aspects of the producing side of things as possible. So it should be an interesting, fun, and challenging season.

I only wish I got to travel with the team!

Banff! (Some specifics)

2007-06-18T06:41:00.000-05:00

Fave sessions:

Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) - Powerful creative woman!
Ben Silverman (NBC, Ugly Betty) - Powerful inspiring, energetic man!
Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) - the CFC gang lingered and got an impromptu master class!
International Trends - niche TV, vertical integration, aggregators, global programming
Brave New World - we gotta drop the "new" from "new media", Joost
User Generated Content - SO key - and good to finally understand LonelyGirl15 (200 eps in 1 year = impressive!)
Big Drama, Small Screen - I wish all the Canadian net execs had been forced to attend to hear why hour-long drama is rocking in the USA so they could get pumped about putting on more Canadian one-hours.

My main thought out of these last two was that with the rise of UGC, drama is the key to the future of broadcasters - because users can create passable low-budget "reality" tv or even LG15, but I can't make Galactica or Ugly Betty in my basement.

That said, clearly I need to go to Next when it comes to Toronto in November.

Fave quotes:

"If you're not here at Banff, the conversation goes on without you." (Peter Mowan)
"Broadcast television is the common language, but the web is the conversation"
"Message (content) has to supersede platform."
"We're all in the hit-making business." (Susanne Daniels)
"Creativity is the most valuable asset."
"No-one is more aware than the show-runner when an episode is less-than stellar." (Rob Thomas)
"Where are the Canadians producing online content?"
"You can't get away with not writing if you want to be a tv writer." (Thomas)
"We ask ourselves if we're over the line and we keep going." (Carol Mendelsohn)
"Writers running television is what makes it the best entertainment." (Mendelsohn)
"Passion moves mountains." (Ben Silverman)
"Grab a camera and go do it! The distribution channels are wide open." (Greg Goodfried)
"There are an infinite number of channels now, and you can have one." (Goodfried)
"We're making TV! How fun is that?" (Silverman)

Things I'm still thinking about:

How the web and TV can feed (into) each other - "connecting over content"
Consumer -> Producer
Extended, Enhanced Experience of content over multiple devices/settings
Democracy of Media - how to organize the chaos
Pay TV - not constrained by advertisers or broadcast standards
Non-linear entertainment
Fragmentation vs Expanding Market
Personal Storytelling <-> Community Storytelling
Subliminal advertising = the future? (30 sec -> 5 sec -> 2 frames)
"Disintermediation"

Banff! (The Overview)

2007-06-18T05:31:00.000-05:00

Where to start? Banff was amazing - even exceeding expectations!

My pre-set meetings went fine, and I now have major incentive to finish up the pilot of my post-CFC project. But the most memorable encounters I had were the random ones - running into someone while waiting in line, or sitting next to someone at one of the fab-o workshops, or - as advertised - hanging out at the St. James Gate.

Having the opportunity to meet and and repeatedly run into the CTV fellows was a major bonus. Great to feel a part of the Next Generation of writer/ creator/ producers. Easy to imagine us coming back to Banff year after year with new projects, and who knows, even collaborating. Really important to me to hear how other people are tackling these early years of independent producing, and to hear that Toronto is not the only spot for producing, by a long shot! So hats off to CTV for the fellowship program!

Got to hang out with a few of my must-read bloggers, Denis McGrath and Alex Epstein, and to bond with CFC grads from previous years. Since I wasn't staying with my fellow CFC writers from this year, actually didn't see a ton of them, which, given that this was an event to network with new people, is probably a good thing. The only event we all attended (besides free food opportunities!) was Rob Thomas, and we also got an impromptu hour-long masterclass from Virginia Thompson (exec producer of Corner Gas), urging us to Maximize dollars to screen. As Adam said "That's the magic of Banff."

For more specifics about sessions, etc, read on.

Stayed an extra day to get some actual mountain time with a for-now local friend. Mmm Mountains.

(more photos here)

Coffee Maker at Cinemateque

2007-05-29T22:09:00.000-05:00

The Coffee Maker will have its Cinemateque debut this weekend (Saturday and Sunday). If you worked on the film and want to get into the reception Friday, let me know and I'll ask them to put you on the list.

Also showing in the Regenesis line-up is Bevan Klassen's ReTired, that I spent 2 days in a tire factory working on - "I love the smell of rubber in the morning!" Plus work from Guy Maddin, Heidi Phillips, Darryl Nepinak, Jaimz Asmundson and more!

Bevan and Heidi's films will also show at the WIFF, which starts this weekend too.

How to Stop an Exploding City

2007-05-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

Is it a coincidence that the finale of Heroes titled "How to Stop an Exploding Man" (who might take a city with him) airs just as the citizens of Toronto send hundreds and hundreds of firecrackers into the sky?

A spectacle worthy of this metropolis. From my balcony 11 floors up, I literally can't take in all the fireworks in every direction, just as I can never take in all that this town has to offer. But like the city's daily bursts of activity, the cumulative effect is outstanding, inspiring, energizing. A brilliant start to summer! (don't bother me with solstician details...)

Because who celebrates summer's return with more enthusiasm than Canadians? I even spent the weekend at the Lake, like a good Canuck. (thanks Joanna!)

Back to Heroes, I'll need to watch the finale again. For one thing, I thought it was a two-hour event, so was stunned that after 40 minutes it was all converging. It did make me cry, for what that's worth. I don't know what to make of the preview for next year. I will withhold judgment to see what they do with it. Overall, definitely one of my favourite shows of the year. Will have to write a whole post about the season in review, I suppose!

Going to Banff!

2007-04-27T13:44:00.001-05:00

I found out yesterday that I'm definitely going to the Banff World Television Festival in June. I got a fellowship from CTV. Thank you CTV! I've been hearing amazing things about the networking opportunities there for the last 2 years, so I'm very excited to be going. I'll be taking ideas for two drama series and a couple of lifestyle shows, but I'm also just excited to hear and possibly meet panelists including Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars creator), Jenji Kohan (Weeds creator), Ben Silverman, (Exec Producer of Ugly Betty), and Greg Daniels (Exec Producer of The Office).

In other, but possibly related, news, while I'm sad that Falcon Beach got cancelled, this opens the door to me, or one of the other 3 writers originally from Winnipeg at this year's CFC!, or possibly, conceivably someone else, to bring a great show to the 'Peg!

Wisdom from Robert Towne

2007-04-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

From Above the Line: Conversations about the Movies

On screenwriting:

Screenwriters are trying to pedict the future. What's going to happen at some unnamed time and place when people are going to expend upwards of $50 million, with actors they don't know, with settings and climactic conditions that nobody knows, and what's going to happen when that product is finished and goes into a theater before audiences which may or may not show up. And in that screenplay you're saying that this will be an effective tale, one that will make the investment profitable. That's a level of arrogance that on the face of it is foolish...

There are so many variables, the screenplay itself doesn't tie anything or anyone down enough to be able to predict with any certainty whatever the f*ck is gonna happen with it! It's a meaningless document. The screenwriter controls nothing.

But notwithstanding that, there are some of us who try. [And] I certainly don't think about that when I'm writing.

***

On directing:

You're so passive when you're directing. When you're writing, you've got the whole world in your hands - though there's a point where that can get passive too. But when you're a director, from the moment you say "Action," you're the only f*cking asshole on the set that doesn't have a job. Everybody else is doing something. You are doing nothing. But watching. And your only job is to be in touch with your feelings... respond to what's going on in front of your eyes. And do it quickly enough so you're not only able to feel but you're able to articulate how you feel in time to tell the actors before the next take... You don't need to know why you're making a movie half the time, or if it's going to be any good, until it's done and then you say, "Oh f*ck, that's why I was making it." It's a voyage of discovery, not just of invention.

Recovered

2007-04-01T16:46:00.000-05:00

Whew, it took a month, but I think I'm now fully recovered from the physical and mental fatigue brought on by the intensity of 6 months in the PrimeTime Program. Lying on the beach helped, emptying my brain for a week helped, sorting through papers and catching up with friends helped, reading trash novels helped, and riding my bike through the spring air has helped a lot!

So I'm back at it. Busy editing my novel-turned-feature, getting writing samples out to agents, and eagerly studying Ugly Betty to prepare to spec it over the next few weeks. I had planned to spec The L Word, and developed through a scene-level outline, but season four has blown my plotlines to smithereens. I'm really enjoying Ugly Betty though -- after I've seen the full season, I'll post an analysis.

Yesterday, a few of us returned to the CFC to speak to potential applicants for this coming year's program. It was great to verbalize what I got out of my time there, including:

- a writing regimen
- a methodology for taking an idea from concept to script, more efficiently and calmly than ever before!
- the opportunity to work for 3 months with one of Canada's top producers in a setting approximating a story room
- a solid pilot for my original one-hour drama
- a table read of my pilot
- the chance to film a 3-minute scene from my pilot
- sincere and valuable feedback from a variety of professionals on several of my show ideas
- a 5 year business plan
- how to break down a show to spec it
- how to pitch and lots of practice doing it!
- meetings with many of the top Canadian agents
- meetings with almost every Canadian broadcaster
- meetings with dozens of Canadian production companies
- an opportunity to ask questions of working writers and producers
- invitations from almost every guest to set up a meeting as appropriate as I go forward
- a basic understanding of the current state of the Canadian television industry
- the chance to become colleagues with seven amazing co-writers, future show-runners and quality note-givers
- new ideas, encouragement, information, guidance...

Convinced you to apply? Here's the link for more info.

Proud

2007-02-27T07:12:00.000-06:00

We had our "graduation" party last night, and showed the "teaser" scenes we shot 2 weekends ago. My scene led off the night, so I was able to relax and enjoy the other 7. The quality of writing and care that went into those teasers was apparent to everyone there. Congratulations to all involved - writers, directors, crew, editors and the CFC staff. A very fun night of shaking hands and (after agents and producers had departed) dancing ensued.

Can I just say how dang proud I am to have had the opportunity to work and learn alongside this group of writers? And hopefully this is only the beginning. I truly believe I saw the future of Canadian (and American) television on that screen.

We still have several meetings this week, but as of Friday we are kicked out of the nest and will have to find ways to keep supporting each other without the structure of the CFC. I know we will make that happen.

But first I will take a much-needed break in Florida for a week, to wipe the slate clean, recuperate and recharge. I'll get to see my dad and sister, and a spring training game or two! While on the beach, I'll re-examine my 5 year plan to see what I want to change. Then I'll come back refreshed and ready to implement my game plan!

100 Drafts

2007-02-26T06:06:00.000-06:00

That's how many drafts Michael Arndt says he wrote of Little Miss Sunshine, winner of the Best Dramatic Screenplay award last night. Not bad for his first produced screenplay.

Of course it helps that he had connections to turn to when he was done, but one of my favourite screenwriting aphorisms is: "a great script is the final argument."

So here's to you, all you screenwriters tapping away in your basements, attics, bachelor studios. Maybe just one more draft, eh?

Coffee Maker at NSI FEX

2007-02-21T17:48:00.000-06:00

I won't be able to make the NSI FilmExchange this year, but Coffee Maker will be there at a late night show!

The lovely Danishka Esterhazy is curating the William F. White Sofa Cinema next week. Coffee Maker will be one of 8 short films screened, in a program called Beautiful Lost Souls. It will be in good company with shorts from Sean Garrity, Coral Aiken, Cecilia Araneda, Mike Reisacher, and others.

Details:
Thursday March 1, 11 p.m.
Industry Room
Hotel Fort Garry, Suite 925

Why I Do This

2007-02-18T05:21:00.000-06:00

I have to admit that at 8 p.m. Friday night, I wasn't sure that I wanted to make TV shows. We'd spent the day grabbing props and moving furniture and painting flats. I'd found out that afternoon that I'd lost one of my leads, and went home to spend a restless night of bad dreams.

But 12 hours later, my fake bathroom had walls, my fake office was decorated and being lit for fake night; and in our first rehearsal, I knew both actors were going to be great. The rush of production kicked in, everyone bunkered down and we met our 5-hour shoot schedule.

I owe a life-debt to the producer Tara Boire, the production manager Adili Yahel, and Steve-the-film-student who stayed super-late Friday night to create a bathroom out of wood and paint and vinyl and sweat! It will all be worth it when you see the final product, I promise.

My actors were outstanding. A special kudos to Lachlan Murdoch, who got a call at 4 p.m. Friday asking if he could fill in the next morning. He jumped right into the character and really pulled it off! And Jennifer Foster brought the perfect balance to her role of Sarah. I hope both of them get lots more work once the strike is over!

Lachlan Murdoch as Travis

I wasn't sure what it would be like to have someone else directing my words, but the director Dylan Smith was generously open to input, inviting me to feel like it was truly a collaborative effort.

Given the major time constraints, every aspect exceeded my expectations. Thanks so much to the rest of the crew - true pros. Congrats to Angie-the-makeup-artist who made my post-brawl actor look so authentic that a guy in the men’s room asked him if he was ok!

Then after we struck the set, my editor Lisa kindly picked up me and the tape and whisked us up to the CFC editing studios to watch the rushes!

And looking at the footage, in the high of seeing the results, it was suddenly all worth it. I can honestly say, there truly is nothing like it for me. The closest thing I can compare it to is friends who have given birth saying they barely remember the pain. I've always doubted this, but by last night, the exhaustion and terror of Friday night was fading into a pleasant prideful glow of accomplishment and teamwork.

Lisa got to work and I went to take a nap on the couch. I've never had someone edit my story before either, and it was somewhat surreal to hear her Assembling the Assembly Cut. As I drifted in and out of sleep, I could hear Sarah, the mom in the story, calling for Travis, her son, reminding me of my bad dream from the night before -- searching for Travis and finding only an actor who looked about 40...

12 hours after the first rehearsal, and 24 hours after my dark moment of doubt, I was watching the assembly and letting the emotions of the piece wash over me. Heavenly feeling - my vision was now Reality. At least the screen version of reality, which is apparently going to continue to be my passion. Lisa had continued everyone else's work of really capturing what I was going for when I set up this slice of my show.

Jennifer Foster as Sarah

And now I can use the energy and emotions from this tangible creation to finish rewriting my pilot - second draft due tomorrow! Better get to work, since the idea behind the trailer is for someone from the industry to become intrigued enough to ask to see more about this world and these characters. And with television, unlike a short film, I can show them more, and give them an opportunity to let us show What Happens Next...

Transitions

2007-02-05T17:56:00.000-06:00

(the view from my new balcony)

Moved into a new apartment over the past week. 11 floors up, centrally located and loving it. I'm a light person, so living in a basement has been tough, though I was and am grateful to have a place to land when I arrived in Toronto, a poor country mouse from Winnipeg, all those months ago...

I'd still love to bring a series back to Winnipeg when I have that power, but in order to continue developing the contacts I'm making at the CFC, it makes the most sense to stay here. It will be fun to discover the city, as I haven't had much opportunity to over the past few months! Haven't been to a single symphony or opera performance, or into a single museum.

But all that will probably still have to wait for another four weeks or so while I finish the program.

In those four weeks, my to-do list includes:
- continue to refine and pitch my pilot for my original series Town and Gown - I'm having a table read tomorrow (yay! Actors!) and meeting with a professional story editor on Friday, so will do at least 2 more drafts
- cast and shoot a "teaser" for the series - a 3-4 minute scene that showcases the series -- and my writing! We'll show them at a special event at the end of the program.
- continue to write my spec scripts, which are L Word (awesome lesbian soap opera) and Ben 10 (brilliant animated kids' show) - diversity, always!
- keep researching producers and broadcasters to figure out who's doing what
- keep talking with agents and see if I can find a good fit
- figure out what to do when I get out!

We had to write a five year business plan, so I have a game plan mapped out in terms of who to contact when, and what I should be working on - I have 2 feature scripts I need to finish as well to round out my portfolio!

Writing on Christmas

2006-12-30T11:42:00.000-06:00

In his awesome and inspirational book On Writing, Stephen King discusses his writing regimen. He said he tells interviewers that he writes every day except Christmas* and his birthday. But then he says this is a lie. He does write on Christmas because writing every day is what he does.

I've been trying to institute a write (or rewrite/edit) every day policy, but was definitely challenged by the travels of the last few weeks. I did however bring my laptop in the car on our 2 hour drive to Christmas dinner and got some work done. I'm plugging away at the first draft of the pilot for one of my original series ideas (due upon my return to the CFC). Because the draft will be used by others to figure out what scene(s) I should film for a "teaser," I want it to be a very solid first draft, which means really a second draft, as I'm the queen of what Anne Lamott calls the "shitty first draft" - just dumping some dialogue on the page to fill those dreaded early pages.

Had a good time in Vegas and visiting friends and family in California. As always, travel and sleeping on unfamiliar beds proved to be good for the muse, and I've got a couple fun ideas for what will hopefully be a feature script and a chick-lit novel.

My week in Winnipeg will also be spent finishing the edit of Rave Review, and clearing through papers I left in disarray when I departed for Toronto in September. (only 3 1/2 months ago? Feels like a lifetime!)

Happy New Year to All! May 2007 bring you ever closer to your dreams and goals!

----
* In the back of my mind, I think he possibly he says the Fourth of July, but that doesn't really fit in with my story

Final Draft

2006-12-13T05:20:00.000-06:00

Since I last wrote, we turned around a third draft and got to hear it at a table read with a collection of very talented actors. I'd like to thank them all for donating their time and passion: Jared Brown, Ben Carlson, George Ghali, Gabriel Hogan, Helene Joy , Geoff Kolomayz, Melissa Kramer, Matthew Lemche, Zoie Palmer, Courtenay J. Stevens, Sugith Varughese, Asim Wali and Ron White.

It was an amazing experience to hear our characters come to life, and to get the questions and comments of the actors, even though they pointed out a flaw that we've had to return to the drawing board (literally) to address. Today is our last day in the story room, and I definitely feel sentimental. It's been rough sometimes, but the energy of bouncing our ideas off each other, and having the opportunity to contribute in the direction of this ship, has been outstanding. Very few awkward silences, lots of laughter and a true egoless collaborative spirit. Our producer Barbara Samuels has given us so much that we can take forward with us in our careers. I can only hope that getting to work with people this creative, professional and generous is preparing rather than spoiling me for my future collaborations.

We'll get out one more draft for Friday, and then we have a few weeks away from the Centre. A "working holiday" I'm calling it, as we will be working on the first draft of our original series pilot, a spec script or two, and our business plan. So the laptop will be coming on my travels! But I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into all those projects, so it's not a burden at all! And I find I get great ideas staring out airplane and car windows...

Had time to take in great free entertainment the last two nights. On Monday, got to see the calling card projects of the writers and directors who are finishing up their CFC programs. Great stuff, congrats to them! And then last night, saw Snow Cake at an Academy screening, and then a groovy light and music show in Nathan Philips Square.

Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver in Snow Cake

Snow Cake is a beautiful film, though there were one or two moments where they crossed over the fine line of sentimentality that they tread so carefully through the whole film. Having met with composer Tim McCauley this week, I was perhaps overly-tuned in to the use of music to emphasize a point, and there was one speech that was perfectly beautiful on its own without my having to be told to pay attention to it with piano notes. Then they brought part of the speech back at the end of the film in voice over, when in my opinion, Alan Rickman could have just uttered a single word to bring us back to that moment. Ah well - a personal choice in a film of lots of great moments.

Another thing Tim said that impressed me was that sometimes he watches films ten times. I've been watching a large quantity of stuff over the last 8 months, but maybe I need to re-watch me some Friday Night Lights and Battlestar over the next few weeks to see just what it is that grabs me and won't let go.

11 Hours

2006-12-01T06:27:00.000-06:00

That's how long we spent in the writing room yesterday. A record for us - we had to get through day two of notes on our second draft so that we can turn around a third draft by Sunday for a table read next week. Really looking forward to that - hearing our words through actors' mouths. And we've got some excellent Toronto actors coming in! Major bonus of being at the CFC!

It's been a very busy couple of weeks:
- Revised a five page pitch document for one of my original series; and based on feedback of another idea (basically "This will never fly") created a new show and wrote a five page pitch doc for it too.

- Got feedback on the first draft of our miniseries. It was intense to say the least! We were given plenty to change, but since my partner and I have hour four, we got our last notes on Friday afternoon with a Monday due date. Luckily my sister, a talented actor, was in town, so she helped me by doing a table read of my edited half hour and gave me a lot of great ideas to integrate. Nothing like hearing your work read aloud to let you know what's not working!

- Was given guidance on which series to move forward with, and got encouragement on what I want to do and how to take it forward. I've started outlining the pilot, which I'll be drafting during our December break.

- Met writers and creators from four different shows. Took lots of notes! Very interesting to see that while there are many routes to finding work, they are finite and all involve working hard, meeting people and keeping an open mind. One thing I opened my mind to, was the idea of writing an animated show...

- Had a session on pitching, which will come in handy as we begin pitching our series ideas.

So plenty of writing to do this weekend... But that's what I'm here to do!!

Intelligence

2006-11-14T21:08:00.000-06:00

I finally realized today (thanks to a visit to our group by Globe and Mail TV Critic John Doyle) that it is insufferable hypocrisy for me to whinge about broadcasters in Canada putting out so little one-hour drama, when I'm not even watching Intelligence. And what do you know, it was on tonight, conveniently timed after Friday Night Lights, my fave new series this season. Lights just got picked up for the season by NBC, by the way, so no more excuses about how it might not last long, start watching! It looks like it's about football, but really it's about passion and dreams and heartache and yearning and small towns and classism and faith and inspiration and fighting off other people's versions of you to create your own version. Oh god it's good.

I did actually try to watch the pilot of Intelligence, but the show is meaty and complex and I was too tired to give it the proper attention. I'm still a bit confused, but will attempt to read the character descriptions and episode recaps kindly provided over at the CBC website, and get on board. This is when a PVR would definitely come in handy, as I'm guessing there's not a huge torrent fan club for Intelligence. Because after seeing it tonight, I would like to start from the beginning. It's good. It's dense. The characters are "fun" (as in creepy double-crossers) and interesting (as in creepy double-crossers). I don't really watch any cops and robbers shows (though I'm trying Wire because I've heard such good things), but I want to give this a chance, and I want everyone else to watch to prove that there is a market in Canada for well-made one-hour dramas.

And it is well-made. Intricate scripts, fine acting and the production values are outstanding. I put a call in to my DP and demanded that he watch the show and get back to me on how much it will cost to make a show look that good. I'll see if I can find out how much CBC is spending on each ep, because it looks damn good. You know, as in, "I might mistake it for an American show." You know it's true.

Ian Tracey is Jimmy Reardon, crime boss, in Intelligence

We were talking today about what it takes for an audience to get behind a criminal as a character and we decided that if he cares about a family member and is a good leader, that helps a lot. Well, Jimmy Reardon has a daughter and a loyal crew, so the theory holds so far...

OK must get some sleep because I am pitching/workshopping my two one-hour dramas tomorrow -- one of them to two different guests! Would be perhaps more stressed out about this but I've been too busy to think much about it. Yesterday, presented a 90 minute deconstruction of The L Word (hilarious - me trying to explain all the relationships in a lesbian soap opera to a crowd of unbelievers), and today we had a deadline to turn in a first draft of our half-hour portion of our mini-series. One thing for sure, I'm now completely sold on solid outlining before going to draft. By the time I got to drafting, it was a breeze compared to the usual sweating bullets!

"See, I'm already learning something here..."

It burns! It burns!

2006-11-05T20:38:00.000-06:00

My eyes that is. From all my homework. Since Thursday afternoon, I've watched:

The Office, My Name is Earl and CSI (these were actually ASSIGNED as homework)
Most of Grey's Anatomy (over commercial breaks during the two hours above)
The last 6 episodes of Veronica Mars, Season 2
The first 3 episodes of Veronica Mars, Season 3
The last 4 episodes of The L Word, Season 2
The first 8 episodes of The L Word, Season 3
The latest episode of Battlestar Galactica.

As far as the last is concerned, I have this to say (hopefully not too great of a spoiler): thank the gods Lee lost some weight and Kara cut off her hair - these may sound like cosmetic changes, but trust me, they are deeply and intrinsically important to the characters and to my personal enjoyment of the show.

Kara, a girl after my own heart, takes a knife to her hair over the bathroom sink.

Please note, I did also buy and eat food, do dishes, speak with Loved Ones, read a book printed on paper, go for brunch with a friend, take at least one bath and one shower, and vacuum. Oh, and write and submit my Five Year Plan.

I need to rewatch BG because I was actually trying to do some work during the episode (8th grade all over again! Homework in front of the TV!). My other homework was making changes to the outline for my designated acts in our mini-series. I also took on the task of creating a chronological timeline for the 4 hours, as we're telling it all out of order and the Script Supervisor within was going nuts not knowing what day a scene took place. It's something I've always done for my own work, including timelines into the past for backstory to keep everything straight. Least I could do to keep 8 of us on the same page!

The L Word marathon is to prepare for a deconstruction of the show that I'll be presenting a week from tomorrow. We're each given 90 minutes to break down a show, its characters and themes. It's not all hard work, as one of the big themes of LW is The Joy of Sex, baby...

We're going to work with Yan Moore (Degrassi, Road to Avonlea) this week. Friday we met and heard the story of Christopher Bolton and Chris Szarka, who created and sold Rent-a-Goalie to Showcase without ever having worked in a story room. Definitely inspiring!

I still need to catch up on last week's Lost and Friday Night Lights (d'oh, did they change the time on me again this week? Checking... Shew, not on until Tuesday...) Thank goodness Lost is going on hiatus after this week - all this keeping up on current shows is hard work, especially as I'm also trying to catch up on shows I missed over the last couple of years (Deadwood, Weeds, The Wire, The 4400, Firefly, Carnivale, and V Mars (which I'm oh so close to watching in Real Time!)).

For those of you who have heard me eschew television watching in the past, laugh all you want, I'm paying now... in blood vessels...

Coffee Maker at Reel Pride

2006-10-29T12:58:00.000-06:00

Another chance to see The Coffee Maker in Winnipeg! TCM will screen at Reel Pride on Sunday November 12 during a Short Film Competition (IMAX, Portage Place, 7 p.m.). My friend Kellie Thomson's film What Will the Neighbours Say is featured as well, so it should be a fun night. I unfortunately won't be able to make it out, but encourage one and all to attend the festival - some great films all weekend!

I'm feverishly editing Rave Review, but will definitely require a sound edit for the final version. I'm very happy with the performances and the cinematography - just trying to nudge it together to flow more naturally than it does in its awkward rough cut state.

Using It All

2006-10-21T08:52:00.000-05:00

One thing I've learned over the past few weeks is that everything I've studied and practised over the last decade (or 3) is still of use to me now in this new setting of television writer and potential showrunner. An actor/director came in to talk to us and when he was talking about understanding actors, I knew what he was talking about because of my experiences as a director. I could picture myself at a casting meeting or writing to a particular actor's Voice.

When we're hammering out story, I know what a beat sheet looks like because of making the equivalent for my novels. Collaborating together with my awesome co-writers, laughing and disagreeing reminds me of creative nights with my writing group in Winnipeg. One of the shows I'm developing takes place on a university campus, so I can use my experiences of working at the U of M for 4 years, and going to grad school for a year, and my 4 lovely years at a small liberal arts college in Ohio.

When I'm looking for a way to say something in fewer words, the practice of crafting poetry comes in handy.

So there you go - I don't need to put anything behind me or wish I'd known I wanted to be a tv writer 5 years ago (because how could I with the television Renaissance just beginning?) I've been on a path that's led me to now, and I get to throw the fruits of all my prior labour into this big screenwriting salad (hmm, metaphor may have gotten away from me there but I'm going to go with it...).

Working hard, and still trying to get Rave Review edited in time to submit to NSI FilmExchange. Upgraded the memory on my Macbook, which has turned frustration with my machine into awe, though I've had to use QuickTime and iMovie to make the rough cut so far as I'm having trouble installing FinalCut - annyoing.

More soon...

Nuit Blanche

2006-10-05T06:41:00.000-05:00

Took a break from work and checked out Nuit Blanche, a groovy all-night art party last Saturday night. Here are some pics: The Fog, Disco Sauna, Dark Pool and Homage to Gay Penguin Marriage.

It was a chilly rainy night but thousands of people came out to play - cool.

I'm trying to take advantage of any free time to enjoy Toronto, as soon our multiple writing deadlines will put major constraints on that time. I've ordered extra RAM for my computer, which hopefully will arrive in time for me to use this 3-day weekend to work on editing Rave Review. Also on the agenda: finishing season one of Veronica Mars, and season two of Grey's Anatomy. I've saved the last couple of episodes of season two of Battlestar Galactica to watch right before the season premiere. I get cable on Sunday, just in time for that and for baseball playoffs (go Yankees, natch).

Was severely disappointed in the season opener of Lost last night - what the heck was that?

Here and Doing Fine

2006-09-22T03:58:00.000-05:00

Before I talk about Toronto, I have to say two thank yous:

Thank you to everyone who came to my send-off - great fun and everyone seemed to have a good time. Thanks especially to the filmmakers who loaned their films for the occasion!

And a huge thank you to Carrie and Chris for helping me get all my stuff out of my apartment - it felt like touch-and-go there in the final hours leading to departure, but thanks to you two, I was able to get on the plane...

And I did make it to Toronto! My first weekend was spent settling in, a process that isn't quite yet done as I have another set of boxes arriving today, and a few more items (like a cell phone!) to buy this weekend.

But have plenty of homework already to do this weekend too! The programme has been fantastic already. The first couple of days we had an overview of story structure, then went right into mapping out our characters for the mini-series we're going to write, and the beginnings of a story idea. The other participants are all creative and enthusiastic (and considerate and encouraging), and we each bring special knowledge and experience, and unique ideas and perspective to the table - a great group mind to work with as we hash out possibile directions.

And every day we have to watch TV of course... We compared the premiere of West Wing to the premiere of Studio 60. Everyone else seemed to like the new show, but I had major Issues with Jordan, the newly-appointed female president of the network. I admit I've been spoiled by the excellently powerful women characters on Battlestar Galactica. Given that she had several other posts under her belt, and was making strong decisions, Jordan was too smiley and saccharine and staring off into the middle distance for my taste. I will watch another episode to see if she gets teeth, and to see how Sorkin breaks things out now that we've gotten character introductions out of the way...

Music Video

2006-09-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

When my sister and I were young(er), we watched Friday Night Videos, and then would talk about how we would make a music video for our favourite songs.

I'm finally getting my chance! I'm putting together the video for "Hurricane" by Sons of York, who loaned themselves to us for the band scenes in Rave Review. We got some very authentic rock-star video footage of them without my actor, and now I'm mixing in scenes from the film. It's a great way for me to dip into the footage without having to worry yet about synching sound, choosing best take, etcetera.

Exceedingly fun, though a bit tricky at first because we shot it all MOS. Memo to self for next time: slate and sound would be helpful to know where the heck in the song we are! There's probably a note in the sound log but that's buried in a pile of papers I need to get through. I admit my apartment is a disaster area as I pack up for Toronto...

I only got the footage back on Monday, as some of it went missing (a circumstance I did my best to put out of my mind until it was resolved). Andrew (my Director of Photography) and I downloaded it on Monday and started playing with it that night. No sound at that point, but Andrew doesn't care about sound! The amazing thing was I was able to transfer the whole capture to my new 30G iPod (which is fortunately not yet filled with songs) rather than dragging around a giant external hard drive!

The video will definitely be done in time to show Tuesday night as a teaser for RR.

I'd forgotten the rush editing gives me. Was thinking about taking a nap yesterday afternoon, but decided to do some quick cuts and the next thing I knew it was 3 hours later and time to go to the Symphony!

Great opening night at the WSO - kudos to soloist Chee-Yun, who had me fearing for her throat with her high sticking on Tchaikovsky's violin concerto; new conductor Alexander Mickelthwate and new exec director Dale Lonis. Only critique: no snackies at the reception?

Two Chances to See The Coffee Maker

2006-09-01T07:05:00.000-05:00

The Coffee Maker has been selected to play at the 13th annual Salon des Refuses in Toronto on September 6. This is a brilliant event organized by LIFT (Toronto Indy Filmmakers group), where they present a selection of Canadian shorts that weren't selected by TIFF. I'm in good company with other films from Wpg Film Group members.

Wish I could see the other films (and attend TIFF, including the CFC's Barbeque dangit), but I won't be in Toronto yet, as I need to wrap stuff up here, including hosting an Evening of Winnipeg Short Films. This is a farewell to Winnipeg (for now) event; a tribute to my fellow filmmakers who took me in and taught me so much (I worked in some fashion on each of the films showing); and a chance to show a few of my own films, including The Coffee Maker. If you can't make the event, virtual tickets and DVDs are also available! My friend Jason has dubbed this a fauxial - faux Winnipeg social. I will provide pickles, but no cold cuts!

I need to post pics from the final day of shooting of Rave Review and will do so this weekend - after my last day at my Day Job! I have a 15 day weekend, then it's time to report to my first day at the CFC! They've warned me to be ready to work 7 days a week, so will try to catch up on sleep before I go, in between catching up on 24 and Galactica...

Writing for the Other Screen

2006-07-31T08:07:00.000-05:00

I've got plans for September!

I've been accepted into the Canadian Film Centre's Prime Time Television Programme. I'll be working with Barbara Samuels (North of 60, E.N.G.) and about 7 other participants. An amazing opportunity to get first-hand experience with collaborative screenwriting, to develop my own television story ideas, and to meet and pitch to industry reps.

I'm due to be in Toronto by September 18, so have a few things to do in the next 6 weeks: wrap up my film and edit at least a decent first cut, and finish research at the Manitoba and Hudson Bay Archives for my MAC grant screenplay. And of course apply for scholarships and funding to help me afford 6 months of living in Toronto!

Thanks to everyone who supported me during the intense application and interview process!

pics

2006-07-24T09:26:00.000-05:00

Here's some pics from the weekend. First Lisa and Daryl, then a shot of what a neighbourhood shoot looks like, then the band.

Amazing

2006-07-24T00:06:00.000-05:00

I'm too pumped up still from my shoot to sleep!

An amazing weekend, though each of the first 3 days seem to have involved a small meltdown
by mid-afternoon, convinced that we're never going to get it all shot. But then we pick back up and charge back through and by the end of the day can say "It was so worth it." Oh my god, some of the footage I got today is so damn H-OT. Cannot WAIT to get it back. The live band (Sons of York) rocked out and I believe won themselves several new fans. I got some extra footage of them and am going to make them a music video, integrating some of the story line from the film.

And a bedroom scene that was by turns beautiful, hilarious and sexay! I loved the moment when we rehearsed a scene and more than one person in the room yelled "that's hot!" Glad to say my casting paid way off - thanks Lisa and Daryl!! You guys rock! Your hard work and dedication to the show mean a lot to me. And thanks for lending us your house Lisa - very brave!

And my crew, I cannot say enough about them. Hope you'll be there for the last bits remaining, but I must thank you now for all that you've done so far.

Andrew - For being so gracious, talented, calm under fire and just Making it Happen.
Shannon - For literally making it happen - you are a supreme professional.
Shelly - For organizing Everything and making it look effortless. There's no way I could have pulled this off without you pulling it all together.
Michelle - For keeping us on track and rising above the call of duty.
Dave - PA/Grip/Xtras Wrangler extraordinaire - thanks for the muscles and great attitude
Samantha - Great job, hope to work with you again!
Kerri - Thanks for keeping our energy up with the delicious food, and pitching in on dragging stuff around!
Brie - Thanks for helping everyone's inner beauty shine through - and getting rid of any extra shine we didn't want!
Arun - great work, and more to come on post!
Dustin and Mark - Thanks for the sweat and putting in the hours
Shallom - way to fill in - hope this is a start of something good for you!
Lauren - Thanks for pitching in wherever needed. Great to have you on set.
Eric - Thanks for the pics!
Jonathan and Andrew2 - thanks for your assistance

Speaking of Extras, thanks to everyone who came out today - greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy seeing yourself bopping away in the final product. Special thanks to Marjo, Tracy, Heather and J&J for answering my call! Great to have you all on set (again for you first 3).

There's still one more day of shooting, some planned in advanced, and some catching of shots we didn't get to. It was definitely nice to have a back-up date to be able to drop stuff to.

Moments like these I surely remember why I do this. After yesterday, I said something about "on my next show..." and Andrew said "I'm glad to hear there will be another one." Yes, any complaining is totally transient. How could I not know what a grand opportunity I have been afforded by these projects? Thank you Winnipeg Film Group and National Film Board. Kisses to you. And to everyone who has supported me during this somewhat stressful lead-up to shooting.

OK finally sleepy. Good night, WinniPEG!

Directing vs Conducting

2006-07-21T08:15:00.000-05:00

Last night, watching my friend Jeremy Legault (above right) conduct an ensemble he'd pieced together for a 2-night multi-disciplinary performance, I was struck by the similarities between our jobs. We'd already discussed what it feels like to rehearse - the limitations of what we can do and offer to the artists. But also the thrill when it all comes together - this thing we imagined comes to life through the talents and contribution of others.

But it's the personal effort that goes into independent artistic productions that makes the "job" so different than arriving on set/stage and doing your thing. Both of us have had to call people personally to cajole them into participating, but both of us have also been amazed at the generosity of people who give their time and energy to collaborate with us (that's soloist Dave Camwell above, who made a road trip in to perform). J lugged photocopied programs from Staples to the performance last night - I'm off to pick up the rental van and load gear. No glamour, no pay (in fact we're putting in our own money), but you better believe this is what we want to be doing or we wouldn't be doing it.

One major difference is that conductors get the gratification of an audience at the moment of performance. Directors have to wait for film festivals and premieres, and for mass-market films, aren't there when the audience is taking it in. Our satisfaction has to be at the end of the editing process - that we have created the best version of what we intended.

Jeremy's production is great by the way - highly recommend it! Music + Dance + Film. It's on tonight as almost a Fringe of the Fringe kind of thing - 8 p.m. at the RWB - and it's pay-what-you-can!

Speaking of Fringe, I should plug my actor Lisa's show, Shock Corridor. Directed by George Tolles, it sounds hilarious. Lisa's a trooper, shooting the film and performing on the same weekend!

Rock and Roll

2006-07-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

Weekend two coming up. Last night, went with Andrew and Darryl to hear the band we're using in the film. Got Darryl on stage with the band for a song to get used to the idea, as he'll be playing the lead singer. Every boy's dream...

The band is Sons of York and they rawk! You can hear their songs on myspace, and soon on the soundtrack to Rave Review! They're young, energetic, and the music is great - just what I wanted.

Winnipeg is amazing - when the first band I lined up fell through, I put out a call on a couple of websites in town and heard from a dozen bands within a couple of days.

Exhausted but thrilled

2006-07-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

Day one of shooting Rave Review went great, thanks to my DP Andrew Forbes, my AD Michelle Ward and Gaffer Shannon Ottarson (on 1 hour sleep!), and all the rest of my awesome crew. And the actors gave me their all:

Looks like we're actually shooting a movie!

Two more days to shoot next weekend, and then a couple of pick-ups. Can't wait!

Jitters

2006-07-14T06:17:00.000-05:00

I've got the pre-production jitters. We shoot tomorrow and even though I know everything is under control, it's hard to remain calm now that's it's here! Rehearsals went great (thanks Lisa, Daryl, Robert!), and I've been to the site to check it out and plan shots with the Cinematographer, Electric and AD. Have a great crew, feel confident in the actors. Will keep myself busy today by shopping for food and getting the van to load with gear this afternoon!

This is where we're shooting - it's a hospital scene - at the UM Nursing centre. The best part is there is plenty of real equipment and some dummies we can use in the beds!

The shooting schedule is actually decent. We have an early start tomorrow, so should be done by afternoon, then don't shoot again until next weekend. So if anything doesn't go quite right, we can fix it before next week!

Canadian!

2006-07-05T21:53:00.000-05:00

I became an official Canadian last week...

just in time to celebrate Canada Day with some special friends!

Rehearsals

2006-06-24T10:12:00.000-05:00

(These are my three actors: Lisa Martin, Daryl Dorge and Robert Kostyra.)

I was starting to feel a bit stressed out about Rave Review (short film shooting next month), but I had two rehearsals this week with my actors and a meeting with my DP, so those have re-energized me for the project. As the writer of the script, I really enjoy hearing how the actors interpret the characters. And I get to remember the important part of my role as director that has nothing to do with organizing details and making decisions: working with the actors to find the True Connections between the characters and the True Expression of their needs/desires/feelings. Awesome, energizing stuff!

Festival

2006-06-16T07:13:00.000-05:00

The Festival was fun. I was a little nervous before my film showed. Not sure what I thought might happen - booing? People throwing stuff at the screen or stalking out? None of that transpired, and it was a relief when it was over. There weren't a ton of people there, but some friends I wasn't expecting showed up, so that was great.

Saw lots of really great films and one freakshow: Firecracker. It was cool to talk with the other filmmakers from all over N. America (there were films from outside N. America but the filmmakers didn't travel with).

Continued to inspire me to send out to a bunch more festivals, so I guess that's my weekend project. And having our first rehearsal this weekend, so excited for that!

Opening Night

2006-06-08T21:43:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the opening night of the Winnipeg International Film Festival - the first festival I am attending as a participating filmmaker! The reception at the Fairmont was fun (good veggie snackies) and I got to meet some people in person I only knew by name.

Rode over to the opening night film in a limo (!) with attendees from Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago - I'm very much in the minority as a local! Enjoyed The Big White - nice fun work by Williams and Hunter and excellent performance by Giovanni Ribisi. Disappointed that it won't have a theatrical release - add it to your NetFlix list!

Very fun to see my name in the program and on the website. Certainly at the least, this is inspiring me to send out to some more festivals and get my dvds and postcards finished, etc.

Skipped the shorts tonight as I'm still wiped out from travelling, but hope to catch a lot of the next three days. It's tough because I've been spoiled by NSI FilmExchange, where you don't have to choose between simultaneous screenings. But very impressive range of films for a festival that's only 2 years old!

Road Trip

2006-06-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

Attended my 15th college reunion at Oberlin College, then have been zipping around Boston, Martha's Vineyard, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore! I head back to the 'Peg tomorrow am starting to return my brain to non-travel status.

It's been great to visit friends and family, but there's plenty to look forward to in Winnipeg in the coming months.

First of course the Wpg Intl Film Festival this weekend - psyched to check out as many other films as possible.

Then need to meet with key crew to prepare for shooting Rave Review next month. And dig in to rehearsals.

Folk Fest not too far away, and then the Fringe. And I'd like to take a week or two at a cabin to work on a couple of screenplays... So I think I'll find a few things to keep me busy...

Premiere for Coffee

2006-05-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm exceedingly happy to report that The Coffee Maker will have its premiere at the Winnipeg International Film Festival, to be held June 8-11. As soon as I know the exact screening time, I will post it and send out a mass-email.

I'm pleased that the premiere will be here in Winnipeg, so that everyone who worked on it (and my friends and other interested parties) can go. Still waiting to hear from several other festivals, and need to send off some more apps. But it's good to have one festival as a for-sure.

Writing Weekend

2006-05-12T15:19:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was an editing weekend, taking all the recordings from the They Came at Night monologue readings and piecing them together. I'm fairly pleased with the result, though I was quite stressed in the 11th hour when I couldn't get the project to dvd to take to the screening! I was able to bring something close to my final cut, but had major sympathy for a woman whose technical difficulties prevented her from showing her project. I was very impressed with the footage the other two projects were able to get, and it was fun to do a Q&A after my film. We're thinking we might put together a compilation DVD, but in the meantime I'll post it on my vlog sometime soon.

But this weekend I should be focusing on writing. I'm completing the translation of my action adventure novel (Into This Wilderness, completed about 3 years ago), to screenplay format. I've decided to apply to the Canadian Film Centre's television writing program, and would like to have a feature to submit as my writing sample, rather than a 10 page short. The best part of applying is that I also need to submit a spec script for a current show. So I'm putting together something for my beloved Lost. Again, something I've been wanting to try for a while, but this application packet gives me the motivation to finish! Entry to the program is super-competitive, but I figured it was time to try for something along these lines.

I did select my actors, and I'm very pleased - think they'll all work well together. Will say more about them soon.

Tough Decisions

2006-05-04T08:56:00.000-05:00

Survived my two nights of auditions + taping, though my cough was awful by the end of both nights. They'll remember me as the director with TB.

Some EXCELLENT actors here in Winnipeg, but that means that now I'm faced with tough decisions about who to cast. Will have to go back through the audition tapes. I also now have to take into consideration matching up the characters - someone could be brilliant, but I have to think about whether they "work" with each person I'm considering for the other role. If I have time, I could play the tapes back to back and pretend they're acting with each other. I totally see now why for a feature you'd want to do callbacks to check chemistry with different actor matchups.

What I love is when an actor gives me something that changes my thoughts about what a character is like - even as the writer! It always astounds me to hear the results of people reading my words and internalizing them, and creating a different reality, a different possibility for that character. I laughed outloud several times in the last two nights, as actors put their hearts and talent out there and made the characters come to life.

To any actors out there reading this, I just have to say that this whole process truly is so subjective. You might kick ass in an audition and not get it because of any number of factors, including who else is cast, or a "look" or "attitude" the director is going for, which would be different for a different director. So it's true as they say that you can't take it personally!

It was amazing to tape the monologues for They Came at Night. Everyone gave such a different interpretation, and some people just blew me away with their intensity. I can't wait to start cutting it together. It was also fun to work with some beginning actors and give them some encouragement about the audition/taping process. My thanks to everyone who helped out with the project, especially those auditioning on the same night! A lot to ask of both of us!

Goings On

2006-05-01T17:13:00.000-05:00

Back from four days in Ottawa. Very fun times in the Byward Market, and the tour of Parliament was particularly meaningful after my citizenship studies. We even got to meet with a Senator (the political kind): Maria Chaput. It was excellent to hear her story and what she does, as I have a distrust of non-elected officials!

In commemoration of May Day, I'll also spend the next few days expressing a distrust of military in the streets with my contribution to the Conspiracy Week Film Festival. Over the next two days, I'm taping a short film They Came at Night. There will also be several interesting documentaries showing as part of the week - check 'em out!

The challenge is I'm not sure exactly where to go to get footage of the troops. I do have actors though - 16 Winnipeg actors have volunteered over the next 2 nights - gotta love the interest level! Many of them are also auditioning the same evening for the three leads in Rave Review. It's taken a lot of brain cells to organize all the time slots, but now I'm pumped up to get auditioning and taping!

I had tried to recruit a DP, but since everyone's working on the three productions going simultaneously (Brothers Grimm, Good Life and Blue State), I'll just have to be a true Guerrilla Filmmaker and shoot my own stuff!

Today also marks the first day of the May Day Poetry Project - I'll attempt for the second year running to write a poem a day (or close to it) for the month of May. Other poets will set similar goals. Come cheer us on!

ReTired

2006-04-26T10:23:00.000-05:00

I was script supervisor/continuity on Bevan Klassen's short ReTired this past weekend. This is the film he's making with the Manitoba Emerging Filmmakers Award funding. Damn fun for the most part, though of course, hard work and long days. Great crew, brilliant setting (tire warehouse, hence the photo), good script, and most importantly, fast turn-arounds on lighting setups thanks to a DP (Director of Photography aka Cinematographer) who was confident in what he's doing and had Big Equipment and lots of help with which to work.

So what does a script supervisor do? My role is first to make sure that the shot list will cover everything originally in the script, and if it doesn't, alert the director so s/he can either add something or say they meant to leave it out. Then I keep a log of all the shots as we go - how long they were, if there were any issues with sound or picture or performance - that helps when they get to the editing room and try to remember why they took 4 takes. But the real challenge is the continuity side of things. Have to remember what people were wearing, how many buttons were undone, what hand they picked up a mug with, how much blood was dribbling down their cheek, what a desk looked like before it was cleared in a violent rage, so it/they can be put back together for the next take or a scene in another room...

It's a pretty mind-consuming job, but on a pro set, there would be a costume person and hair person who would also be watching continuity for those areas. The best thing about it is I'm at the director's elbow most of the time, so get to basically be a director observer. And it's fun to be the know-it-all - I field questions from the director, camera assistant, actors, crew - for the reasons above, plus I'm keeping score on what's been covered and what's left, and when we can all go home and get a little rest before getting up to do it all again...

It's actually hard to come back to the real world after the intensity and pace of a film weekend. But have much to do before I go on my trip so better get to it.

Casting Call

2006-04-12T15:19:00.000-05:00

I've been sending this around, so figured this spot was another good spot to post it. Already getting in some great possibilities - can't wait for auditions/taping!

Casting Call for two projects:

1. Independent short dramatic film (10 minutes, 16 mm)
Working Title: Rave Review
Directed by: Polly Washburn
DoP: Andrew Forbes

Roles to be filled:
Scotty: 20-something lead-singer in a rock band
Glynnis: 30-something woman in a crisis
Howard: 40-something man in a hospital bed

Auditions will be held in late April, rehearsals in May, shooting (3-4 days) in June.

===========

2. Independent short dramatic film (5 minutes, video)
Working Title: They Came at Night
Part of the Sex, Lies and Videotape Festival
(details here: http://www.entertainers.ca/Truth_Lies_Videotape/contest.htm)
Directed by: Polly Washburn

Several roles of various ages. No audition. Single evening (week of May 1) of brief monologues, to be provided in advance.

If interested in either production, please send resume/headshot (smaller than 1MB please!) to me.

Mo money

2006-04-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

Just found out I got some funding from the Film Group to help create lovely marketing materials for Coffee Maker. I had to put together a marketing plan, which included postcards, dvd labels and inserts, and festival entry fees!

I'm spending 3 nights at the CBC Comedy Festival - was more amused than I expected to be last night, hosted by Rowdy Roddy Piper (pictured here in younger years), and will be at Saturday and Sunday's shows as well.

Tomorrow night is the latest Winnipeg Film Group shorts premiere, with films by Alek Rzeszowski, Ryan McKenna, Jon McPhail, Zac Rothman, and Jason Lapeyre. Should be interesting...

And I'm very pleased that several people showed up Sunday to get a screenwriting group started. I'm looking forward to having a writing group again - to inspire and learn from each other -- and most importantly to get projects written and edited!

Big Day

2006-03-29T20:49:00.000-06:00

Took my Canadian Citizenship test today! I studied hard (so I know for example the maple-leaf flag was officially introduced on February 15, 1965, presumably accompanied by maple syrup), but was still nervous. I had to stand in line to check in, and that was pretty emotional - to be part of this group of people of all ethnicities and languages from a variety of countries all waiting like me to Become Canadian. If I didn't accidentally circle some goofy answer (Q: What is the capital of Nunavut? A: Nunavut City?), then I will have the swearing in sometime in the next couple of months.

And I'm extra grateful to Canada these days, because I found out I got funding through the Winnipeg Film Group production fund, supported by the National Film Board, to make my second short (working title = Rave Review). Totally pumped up for that.

I've got Andrew Forbes, my DP from Coffee Maker lined up again, and this time I'm going to have a Production Manager to help me with all the little details that suck up time and energy. Andrew's already spending all our money on lighting that I can't get from the Film Group, but if he can make pictures as beautiful as what we got for Coffee Maker, I'm all in. And it's my own fault for writing in a bar scene and an alley scene. So, gotta put together a casting call, etc. More details coming soon...

But first, a two-day documentary workshop, and then Sunday I'm meeting with other people who expressed interest in getting together in a screenwriting group - been wanting to do that since my writing group folded last year, so I'm psyched to get that going. Some great people interested, so should be good input and scripts coming out of the group!

Lucid

2006-03-19T19:43:00.000-06:00

Winnipeg director Sean Garrity's new film Lucid opened Friday. I went on the radio at 6:20 a.m. that morning to promote the film and the First Weekend Club, which sent an email to members to promote the opening in Winnipeg, Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax. Not exactly a glamourous red carpet Premiere, but at least the show we set up for his Q&A sold out! It took a lot of hard work by Sean to get a lot of press for the film, including an interview in the Globe and Mail on Friday. Definitely a tough job, being a Canadian film director!

This was my second time to see the film and I again really admired the story, acting, and this time especially Michael Marshall's cinematography. Check out the trailer at the Lucid site and go see it! There are also some amusing sleep-driving games on the site...

Film Festivals

2006-03-10T17:06:00.000-06:00

Had a great time at the NSI FilmExchange. Really impressed with the films - can sincerely recommend all of the ones I saw: Sean Garrity's Lucid, Gary Yates' Niagara Hotel, David Ray's Fetching Cody and Charles Biname's The Rocket.

Lucid opens in Canada next Friday, the 17th, and Niagara Hotel opens the 24th. I'm attempting to revitalize the Winnipeg branch of the First Weekend Club to get the word out for opening weekends of these Winnipeg-shot films.

I also enjoyed meeting filmmakers and going to workshops on writing and producing. Further inspired by watching the shorts, I'm starting to send The Coffee Maker out to festivals. So far:
Worldwide Short Film Festival (Toronto)
Fairytales (Calgary)
OutFest (LA)

And several more yet to send out, hopefully some with the help of the Film Group distribution office. Have to say I'm becoming a fan of WithoutABox, which allows you to put in all the details of the film just once, pay fees online, and just ship off the judging copy of the DVD to the festival programmers. Need to make a press kit, but luckily, I have some experience with that!

This weekend starts the Freeze Frame Kids Film Festival. I'll be helping out with some of the workshops, and apparently will be speaking as an Expert at a couple, which should be fun. I'm all for getting kids into filmmaking!

The Poetry Face-Off went great, incidentally - thanks to those who came out to listen and support! Chandra Mayor will be the Winnipeg representative at the Natinals, but my poem will be read on Ron Robinson's Saturday morning show - probably next Saturday.

Busy Weekend

2006-02-24T14:05:00.000-06:00

So here's my to-do list for the weekend:

Finalize my Poetry Face-Off poem before I record it Sunday at CBC
Write a paper on photographer Robert Frank for my film class
Complete an application for the Winnipeg Film Group's Production Fund, including editing a short film script I've been working on
Do a bit of work for the NSI FilmExchange, which is next week - I'll be helping them with media stuff during the festival
Hang out at the 24-hour Freedom to Read event

If I have time, I'd love to send off an app to the Canada Council for a new media project, but perhaps that'd be overkill??

Beaufort, South Carolina, Robert Frank

Current Events

2006-02-20T20:30:00.000-06:00

I've posted my finished project from the 48-hour film on my vlog. A fun experience, and it was great to see what other people came up with - a wide range of projects - from fart jokes to murder to a French chanson!

I now know the date for the CBC Poetry Face-off: Tuesday, February 28, at the site formerly known as Academy Bar and Grill, now Bar and Oven (414 Academy). Should be a fun night - the other poets are all great.

The date for Girls! Girls! Girls! has been changed to Sunday March 12 and I believe Ariel will be performing too. She has also apparently signed us up for the Freedom to Read Marathon - an annual tradition.

Ariel and I went to see Zachariah Wells and Lori Cayer read on Saturday. Really enjoyed both their work - especially Wells' imagery of battling cold dark winter. But for the second event in a row, a disappointing crowd. Gotta get some poetry flash mobs happening in Winnipeg!

Tonight I'm going to see Philip Glass - a personal thrill. I'm taking my groovy piano teacher, so it'll be a treat for us both.

48 Hour Film Project

2006-02-18T05:36:00.000-06:00

So to celebrate shipping The Coffee Maker off to its first film festival (CFC's Worldwide Short Film Fest), I'm participating in the Winnipeg Film Group's 48-hour Film Contest. A small-scale project this time, just me in my studio doing a digital-photo animation. Will post over at my vlog when complete, and maybe a few stills over here.

Will be fun to see what other people come up with - we all met at a kick-off last night - about 12 or 14 projects it looks like - we'll share our projects tomorrow night.

Bettter get going - less than 36 hours remaining!

Upcoming

2006-02-13T07:07:00.000-06:00

Sorry for not updating recently.

Here's two events coming up that I will be involved in:

CBC Poetry FaceOff - I've been invited to be one of the 5 Winnipeg participants. Should be a fun night. I'll post location and date/time when I find out. Probably the last week in February.

Girls! Girls! Girls! - March 9, 6:30 p.m. Gas Station Theatre.
An international Women's Week event and fundraiser for the Gas Station Theatre. I will be reading poetry, but other women will be performing in other ways. The themes are apparently Transformational Alchemy and/or Something Bawdy!

I'll post a link to that if there is one - an internet search provided links to many other "events"...

In film news, I'm shipping out my first festival application this week (Ottawa World-wide Shorts). Will certainly keep you updated! I'm very pleased with the sound mix by Saul Henteleff. A big thank you to him and to my DoP Andrew Forbes, who did most of the colour correction.

I attended the first two nights of the Winnipeg Symphony's New Music Festival this weekend. Great music, and last night was the premiere of David Scott's choral piece Tranquility and Order using Ariel Gordon's text. Congrats Ariel and David!

Canadian Arts Coalition

2006-01-15T18:35:00.000-06:00

For the Canadian citizens dropping by, I draw your attention to votearts2006.ca.

This is an important initiative to increase funding for Canadian Arts - it sounds like the political parties are verbally on board, but it can't hurt to tell candidates that this is a priority for you. Now is when they're at their most receptive and supportive!

New Toys

2006-01-15T08:53:00.000-06:00

For the new tax year, I've invested in several new toys for my computer:

- latest version of the Macromedia Suite
- more RAM to boost my computer's performance to handle the most important item:
- Final Cut Pro Studio

Can't wait to really dive in and play with the last, as I've been using Express for the last year, and couldn't open my own last edits on Coffee done on FC Pro at the Film Group. But I have to install the RAM first, and clear some regular memory - the install alone takes 4 Gigs, and they advise that 40 Gigs is required if I were to install all loops, samples and tutorials! That's insane, frankly. "I remember the day when..." we had 32K for the whole computer!

I'm taking a Film Studies course this term - Howard Curle's "Poetric Realism in American film from 1950". We've seen two films so far - Panic in the Streets and Little Fugitive. During the latter I couldn't help thinking (per Jonathan's comment recently that most films are too long) that it could easily have been a tight short film rather than a feature. The opening 5 minutes alone, establishing part of the story, was covered in 5 seconds of dialogue right after.

It'll be interesting to hear what the rest of the class thinks - I definitely heard some restlessness - tough film for modern attention spans. I am definitely drawn to the idea of using non-professional-actors and Real Faces and Real Places in films, though.

Video blogging is exposing me to some beautiful images and funny/poignant stories from non-professional videographers. It will be fascinating to see what happens to the lines between amateur, professional and artist as the form evolves.

From the "You know you're in Manitoba when" category, here's a picture I took last week at Fort Whyte Nature Centre:

Rebel Without a Crew

2006-01-05T08:03:00.000-06:00

On my trip I read Robert Rodriguez's excellent Rebel Without a Crew. Totally inspirational story of how he made El Mariachi on $7000 in 3 weeks, acting as Director, DP, sound guy and any other crew work that needed doing. He brought it to Hollywood and got an agent and contract in a couple of weeks - nuts.

Many interesting ideas. The main one is to just go ahead and start shooting. Don't wait for someone to give you money - shoot on whatever you have available and learn by doing. Practice shooting and editing. Make some "bad films" to warm up to your big project. The funny thing is he thought El Mariachi was a practice film. He keeps saying, "I would have taken more time if I knew people were going to see it."

So he's totally got me thinking about what it would take to shoot an indy feature. Andrew, my DP on Coffee, mentioned shooting a cheapy feature in Toronto over the course of a few weekends. With the availability of portable HD cameras, the main expenses would be renting equipment and feeding the crew. I was impressed with the lighting set-up on Sean Garrity's short in November - just set it up above and be done for the day. If I had a lot of outdoor shots, all the better. And need good microphones...

Rodriguez says and I agree: It's about story story story. If you have great stories, that trumps lighting, quality of video, etc.

His other main point was not to believe all the negativity about how it's impossible to Make It in This Business. Creative work will be appreciated by someone. I'm not convinced I want to work in Hollywood, but I definitely want to keep turning my stories into films. I'm really enjoying my SD300 (footage available on vlog soon). Wonder if I could shoot a short documentary on its highest quality setting? Also, have often thought of animation as a great way to eliminate the need for a crew...

Brain definitely buzzzzzing for the new year!

It's been fun to show people the near-finished version of the film. Good feedback. The funniest part is everyone has a different interpretation of the film. There's very little dialogue, so if they miss or disregard one line, a different storyline emerges. I don't mind this - I'm intrigued by it.

Road Notes

2005-12-22T07:38:00.000-06:00

Just got back from several very fun days in California and Las Vegas. Feel a need to explain my attraction to Vegas, as this is my second visit in two years. I find myself awe-struck by the Excess, the Scale, the Volume, the Pace. But also by the Spectacle.

Saw my second Cirque de Soleil show, and was just overwhelmed by the creation of a theatre to house it, the pre-show antics, the number of acrobats involved, and by the visual, choreographical and mechanical details of several of the vignettes. This show (Ka) did not draw me in the same way Mystere did, but the scene that stays with me is a battle in which the dancer/actors propel themselves up and down the side of a wall, and each step they take reverberates in light on the wall - just beautiful.

At the new Wynn hotel, there is a series of light shows that incorporate giant puppets and water - can't even describe it, but again, had that feeling of wonder that someone would go through the trouble of making something which had no utilitarian value beyond creating a sensation of surprise and - for me - something akin to joy.

Of course you can see these things the other way, as yet more distraction and "entertainment" for the masses, to help us ignore the true troubles of the world. But they are so superior to the lowest form of that - television. They are live, they are tangible, they do have artistic value.

Note that I do not place the Fremont video montage in this category, though it is amusing in it's own way, giant screens above our heads filled with iconic images of Sin City: nubile young women, gambling chips, food...

Service Oriented

2005-12-09T17:25:00.000-06:00

Just went to a symposium my office helped organize on Service Oriented Architecture. It wasn't on my radar until recently, but it's apparently a buzz term to describe a philosophy of creating software pieces that meet the needs of users (who require "services"), and that can work easily with other software pieces. At the beginning of the day, it sounded like it was a movement away from specific software companies and toward a world where we could pick and choose the best software and not have to worry about what platform or other software we were using.

I was interested in the Open Source implications - people building on each other's software and trying to create tools that can be used by others. But by the end of the day, it sounded like it was more a structure for the big boys to use to keep you with them after all. So that was a bit disappointing, though it got me thinking about paradigm shifts from competitive short-term to collaborative long-term models of problem-solving.

Interesting as an artist to be thinking about business models. As a web designer, I have to think about the users of the site, what they're looking for and what the owner of the site wants to convey. But as a writer or filmmaker, I think my responsibility is to upend expectations, to NOT provide what the "user" of art wants. Though as humans we have needs to be exposed to beauty. This is a "service" artists provide, though we can also provide the services of entertainment, inspiration and education, to name a few. Is it important for my art to be "interoperable" with other artists? With mainstream entertainment? If I want to use other people's work, again, this leads me to Open Culture/Open Content models. Definitely don't want a finite number of people to have a monopoly on Art.

And what if citizens demanded Service-Oriented Government? Standards-based government, where citizens set minimum levels of required functions and performance. What if we could pick and choose among a variety of governments instead of being tied to just one? "I like this government's drug policy, but that one's foreign aid policy and that one's health care plan." We could donate to the tip jar for each government, to support their policies... But somehow in there all the governments would have to learn how to talk to each other...

And on an even higher philosophical plane, do we live Service Oriented Lives? Are we flexible and agile, do we inter-connect well with others? Do we serve each other in meaningful ways, think about the needs and requirements of others? Do we expect to meet all the needs of anyone else, or have our needs met by a single person? Or are we open to having multiple people meet our varying requirements?

A few thoughts for Friday night...

Screenwriting on tap for 2006

2005-12-09T06:08:00.000-06:00

Terrific news! Found out that I have received a Manitoba Arts Council grant to write a feature-length screenplay. Sweet holiday present. Have I mentioned God Bless Canada's support of the arts? Feel very blessed. And feel a big responsibility to write something worthy of the support of Canadian taxpayers! The story is definitely very Canadian - it's two stories actually - one historical and one modern. So I'll be heading to the archives as well as the keyboard.

So now I know at least one of my projects for 2006. Have another short script I'm finishing that I'd like to shoot on video in the next 6 months, now that Coffee Maker is almost ready for screening. Speaking of which, as promised, here's a before and after shot from the colour correction:

Dramatic, eh?

The magic of colour

2005-12-05T18:55:00.000-06:00

Had a great time digging into colour correction with Andrew. We have a little more to do, but it's going to make an incredible difference. I already thought the film was beautiful, but we're adding life to it now. (Tracy and Marjo, I think you're going to be very happy that I'm not leaving you so pale!)

Was hoping to post before and after pics, but it will have to wait until I can get back into the editing studio, as I can't access the files I was working on now. I only have Final Cut Express at home, and I mistakenly thought I could download a 30-day trial of Final Cut Pro but no such thing it turns out! I'm planning to get the full HD Studio Suite, but not until after the new year.

And after seeing this, I want to get the new Macromedia Suite as well. Would love to experiment with interactive web video! Need to add some flash clips to my e-portfolio, which I've finally gotten up to promote my web design services. Hopefully I'll get some cool projects to work on in the new year.

Episodes two and three of the vlog are now up as well - check them out.

Good Stuff

2005-11-30T11:32:00.000-06:00

Had a fun day yesterday script supervising on Sean Garrity's short, Double Standard. It was a tough day physically because of the unique nature of the filming. Most projects, I get time to sit down and rest or think while lighting sets up for the next shot. This shoot involved a bunch of one-takes moving throughout an apartment using a steadi-cam. Since we were shooting on video, the lighting could be set up at the beginning of the day for the whole set and then just minor corrections were needed as we went along. Brilliant, but not a lot of time to rest!

But it was a good day, overall. I hit a point as I almost always do a couple of hours after lunch, where I wonder why I thought making movies was fun. But then something always happens to remind me why it's amazing. In this case, it was the actors and getting to see some of the footage as we went along, thanks to an on-board video recorder. The actors, Avital Ludwig (who I was impressed with last spring on Chris Robert's Meaning of Max) and Nick Ouellette, showed great stamina considering the long day with few breaks for them either!

And the picture looked great - Keith Eides on steadi-cam and the ever-professional Lawrence Mardon was DP. Beautiful colours and shots.

Having just met with my sound mixer, I have to say that shooting on DV is sounding ever-more appealing, as my main concern with Coffe's sound was camera noise. Saul says it's only obvious because I know what it is, but he'll try to tone it down for me. He was encouraging about the film in general, and complimented some of my edits, which was very pleasing, as I still feel like I'm just making this up as I go along. Everyone has to start somewhere, I suppose!

So I'm going to do some colour correction tomorrow with my DP, get the files to Saul early next week, and hopefully should have a finished product in time for New Year's!

Lots o Thoughts

2005-11-28T09:45:00.000-06:00

Friday I attended a mini-symposium on the future of New Media at the University of Manitoba. Doubly relevant for me because of my job and because I've been looking at Media and New Media grad programs for myself. The keynote speaker was Prof. Joanna Berzowska from Concordia University. She has one of the coolest research jobs on the planet at the XS Labs/Hexagram Institute researching wearable circuitry. [links, pic] I'm surprised that there hasn't been more interest from the higher-end fashion designers (or geeks like me who want their shirts to double as recording devices), though I totally see the military applications.

I'm quite drawn to Berzowska's depiction of a Chercheur/Createur. A researcher/creator. Not either/or. Can create new media and study it, reflect on it. Don't have to be an academic locked up in an ivory tower. Can seek out new modes of understanding and expression and sharing knowledge. "Innovate via artistic enquiry" as she put it. To do that, I think I'm going to need at the least "Radical Interdiciplinarity" a phrase she cited as Simon Penny's. One theme that came up in the break-out groups as we discussed this crossing of disciplines, was a desire for a "common language" to communicate between the arts and sciences. I would argue that we actually need to become multilingual. Yes, we should be able to understand multiple disciplines, as there is beauty in science and math in art. But there are certain ideas that can only be expressed in their native discipline, therefore we must be willing to learn not just the items that intersect/overlap in the disciplines (interdisciplinary) but delve into the language of another discipline, become Radically Multidisciplinary.

Friday night was the first Poetry Potluck, a monthly event I've conceived for Winnipeg poets to gather to share their own poetry but equally importantly, poetry of others that we're enjoying. Great to be exposed to poets I've never heard of. This time out, Maurice Mierau introduced me to Les Murray, who I'll definitely have to read more of. About 9 of us showed up – not bad for a first time event.

Saturday night I helped out at the Winnipeg Film Group's latest night of shorts. I'd worked on 3 of the 7 films, but this was the first time I'd seen Kevin Nikkel's final version of Juliet at 2:15 (I was slate girl). Daniel Eskin wowed us with the 35-millimeter version of his film Salt Piller – inspiring camera work and story. (already recognized at the Monterey Film Festival) Jonathan Ball's Spoony B was inspired in a very different way – a retro-silent comedy, hand-processed I believe, as was Mike Reisacher's Porcelain Dreams, which was the first film I did continuity for.

Hopefully Coffee Maker will be part of the next night of shorts – probably in February. I took Alek "Spoony R" Rzeszowski's advice and chipped away 2 minutes from my last cut. Painful indeed, but much easier to do after putting it away for a couple of weeks, as I was able to be a little more objective about what was really needed to tell the story. And it's humblingly clear that the story can still easily come through in 2 less minutes! I've always been good at editing my written work down to requested size, but there's a difference between cutting words I wrote and images that took the effort of so many people to make possible.

Meeting with my sound guy, Saul Henteleff, on Wednesday, so gotta finalize picture. I feel ready to let it go, to let it be what it is at this point and move on to the next project. I'lll hear in the next couple of weeks about the two grants I applied for, so that will help determine What Next.

Episode One is Up

2005-11-23T22:15:00.000-06:00

I've posted my first episode of my new vlog (video-blog). You can watch it and read my commentary about this leap into the vlog world by going to A Week in the Life.

Hadn't realized that it had been so long since I last posted. Been busy creating the vlog, working on a couple of websites, researching grad school programs, and inching my way through a final edit of Coffee Maker. Have a meeting set up with my sound guy next week, so that'll give me a deadline to wrap this up.

And I've agreed to be the script supervisor on a short shoot by Sean Garrity next week.

Remix

2005-11-12T14:57:00.000-06:00

Inspired by We Are the Media's "Remixoff 2005", I have remixed the first episode of my friend Ravi Jain's vlog (video blog), Drivetime. He records his ride to work, with a guest on board every week - so far 5 episodes.

Click the image below or this link to see the remix (Quicktime - 1minute 15sec, 7MB).

I'm definitely tempted to start my own vlog to get more experience recording and editing, and just because it seems like a fun thing to do. Will of course provide a link from this space when/if that idea becomes a reality!

[remixoff2005]

Back to the Editing Board

2005-11-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

Had a great editing workshop last night at the Film Group. It became painfully clear to me that I need to try to shave off at least a minute or two from my film - maybe more. I've been away from the footage for about a week now, so I think I will be able to go back in with a little bit of perspective and do the hard work that has to be done!

But it was good to find out from the guy that my basic techniques are the same things he does - he taught me a few shortcuts, but when I asked about some buttons I've never used, he said he doesn't use them either! He did show me some cool stuff in the video filters that I might try.

It's not really a surprise that editing film should be like editing fiction or scripts. Make the broad strokes and then go back in to pare down. Just more painful in film, because I know how much work went into making each shot happen. Can see now why there are director's cuts and extra deleted scenes on DVD's!

Digital Toys

2005-11-04T07:14:00.000-06:00

Spent the last 3 nights taking a class at Video Pool on working with digital video cameras. I was very impressed with the quality of the picture from the Sony HVR-Z1U, especially in cine mode. The HVR-A1U was fun because it was so tiny. The beauty is I don't have to buy them to use them. That's the whole point of belonging to VP.

Apparently to rent either of them, I have to prove my trustworthiness with one of the other cameras first, so I'll do that over the next few weeks, as I do want to practice some of the techniques we talked about, particularly using the iris, gain, white balance, and zebra stripes. The tricky thing is each camera is so unique and has their buttons in such different places. Not like desktop publishing software, where you can usually hunt around and find what you're looking for eventually...

Was using iMovie at work yesterday and was amused that it has so few buttons compared to Final Cut - even the Express version I've been using. I only used a handful of what was available in Final Cut - found what worked for me and kept using it. Another reason to get some more footage and play with it - force myself to experiment with some of the other editing features.

Rough Cut is done!

2005-10-31T11:06:00.000-06:00

Last night, hit that moment of "This is a stupid story, why would anyone want to watch it, what was I thinking?" Had to just push through it and persevere! Didn't help that I'd forgotten a sequence that I still needed to edit!

But this morning felt calmer and put together all the separate sequences I've been editing. I discovered that my "little 7-8 minute film" currently sits at almost 11 minutes. Oops. I'll have to step back for a few days and see if that's justified! But at least the rough cut is done to use as a sample of my work for this application. Since the fund is for new artists, presumably they won't be expecting perfection (though I am!!)

Understand now the "aaaa--aaand cut". There are these little moments that happen just before and after the official take that can be lovely.

Getting closer

2005-10-30T07:28:00.000-06:00

Notes from yesterday's editing:

When I wrote the script, I had this idea of close ups on Objects (the machine, the mug, the shards, the sponge on the wall), but now that I'm editing, it's clear that the story is right where it should be: on the characters. They are front and center, as they should be.

I also would have thought close ups would be the way to go, but you have to think of the psychology of the moment - whose head are we in? Is she feeling close to or distant from the other character?

It's humbling that a "draft" of a scene that's one minute and 40 seconds has taken several hours of work over 2 days. And I'm still not completely convinced I used the right shots. I've got some alternate clips saved to the side, and I'm going to look at it again today. Reminds me of another writing tip: you can't waver forever on choices. You have to make a choice and proceed from there. Each choice affects the one to follow. Although I built some of the scene from the back when I was having trouble with the middle!

The good news is that after that I took on the only scene left and it went a lot quicker. Turns out editing a scene with 2 people is effort squared! I'm experimenting with some opacity effects for the scene - again, will have to see if other people think it's Too Much. But it's fun to throw some experimental stuff into an otherwise straight-forward narrative film.

After I re-examine yesterday's material, I'm going to pull the 7 sequences I've created into one big timeline to see what it looks like all together!! Hopefully something like a movie!

Chugging away - and a sound clip

2005-10-27T11:23:00.000-05:00

As expected, this is the most difficult scene to edit. Lots of options and choices. That's a good thing to have, but sorting through them all and syncing the sound and making alternate versions of the scene is definitely time-intensive, and I'm still not done.

But it's still a wonderful experience. INCREDIBLE small moments - touches, hand gestures, small facial moments. This is what film is for - what we can't see on the stage - hell, we are ON the stage with the actors.

Fun to "eavesdrop" before and after a take - hear myself talking with the DoP or actors. Here's a snippet. The sound at the beginning is a funny owl-like noise by my DoP. Sorry, you won't get to hear me say "action" on this one - I just say "go." Will add another clip another time...

One down, one to go

2005-10-23T19:02:00.000-05:00

Definitely learned this morning, after going back to the scene I was working on yesterday, that it's much easier to see what needs to be done and jump in and do it, after a good long break. So I was right not to force myself to keep working on it after I got tired!

This was the most complex scene so far. Not just choosing between takes but lots of angles to choose from. Unnerving to just jettison a shot that required an entire separate and time-consuming setup, but it just doesn't work with what I've put together. I console myself by thinking I'll use it for some other project someday.

On the other hand, I find now that I've put the story together visually that I'm missing a shot I'd now dearly like to have - a close up that just doesn't exist. I did create storyboards and shot lists, and it was never there. It's only now that I have the footage and the story is more "real" that I see so clearly what I'd like to have Just There. Sigh. I tried to create a CU by enlarging a piece of footage I do have, but it looks awful.

This was actually the last scene in the film, and it was very fun to work on the ending. I created some interesting effects with cross-dissolving and opacity. Will require someone else to tell me if it's over the top because I'm too pleased with myself for creating the effect!

I'm saving the most complicated scene for last. It's the one where the two characters interact and (gasp) talk to each other. That's the one where sound is actually going to make or break a take.

On the technical side, I've been very impressed with the way Final Cut uses memory. I've got all the footage on my external hard-drive, and working on it by cutting and copying and manipulating clips hasn't decreased my disk space at all. This is good news as I was expecting to eat up memory like crazy while editing. So that leaves me calmer about making as many variations as I want.

Two more scenes

2005-10-21T21:01:00.000-05:00

Fascinating but physically exhausting work. In between making decisions about which take to use, or how to split together the first half of one take and the last half of a second there's just trying to learn the mechanics - which buttons do what?

I've found that I definitely need long breaks. I've been at it for 12 hours, but took three shifts with an hour or more between each - there's no way I could edit that many hours straight at this point.

But it's incredible to mold it into shape. Very different than editing words - feels more like the sculpting metaphor - broad strokes, then more and more definition and detail. Moving something, then moving it back - that part is like editing words!

With words, you're rarely just using what you've got. You keep thinking to yourself that maybe you can find a new way to say something. So editing film is somewhat freeing in that respect. What I have in my clip folders is what there is to work with. I can mix and match and manipulate, but this is not a big-budget film where I can go back and re-shoot. I see now why dailies on features are so important. There are definitely a few moments where now that I have the footage, I'd love another chance to get a slightly different angle. I will definitely have much more of an editor's mind next time I shoot.

I always thought of continuity as avoiding the broad errors - picking up a cup with different hands in different shots or wearing the wrong shirt. But I understand axis better now that I'm trying to fit together a medium and a close up - a shift too far in angle can be distracting. I get now why editors in interviews say ideally their work is invisible. You shouldn't see the jumps, the seams holding the clips together.

Definitely going to need some sound editing assistance - the buzzing of the camera is startlingly noticeable.

My editing music today was Glenn Gould's 82 recording of the Goldberg Variations - a brilliant sequence of moods and tempos - pure inspiration. His humming a reminder not to get too anticeptic and caught up in cutting to "perfection" whatever that is.

One Scene, two speeches and three-day weekend

2005-10-20T16:47:00.000-05:00

(1) So I've edited Scene One! One minute thirty seconds - a slow quiet opening so far in this rough cut. Tougher than I thought, but a good section to start with, as it's probably the most straight-forward of all the scenes.

(2) I gave two speeches Tuesday. One was an information session on copyright for grad students at the University. I went in wishing I knew more, as I'm still learning about the area, esp. in Canadian Law, which could be changing soon, not necessarily for the better. The good news is I had a guy from the legal office there, and administrators there to justify campus policies so I didn't have to!

The other speech was the third round of a speech contest for Toastmasters. Yes, it's true. It succeeded in my goal of pushing my public speaking comfort level by being in a contest, and attempting to make people laugh, rather than just giving a straight-up speech. The topic was "How to Watch Sports" and one thing I learned giving the speech is that not everyone is as big sports fans as my household! Stunner! I came in third (of 8, not 4!), but more importantly, enjoyed myself on stage. I even made some of the old ladies laugh. And it's helped with my grieving process re: the Yankees' early exit.

(3) I'm taking tomorrow off and dedicating the next three days to editing, as I need a rough cut by November 1 to submit as support material with my application for Video Pool's New Artist/New Media fund. Have a fun idea for that to propose. Would be another great opportunity to get training while creating an actual decent-quality work.

Will also be taking in some of the Send & Receive Festival. If you're in Winnipeg, check it out - some cutting-edge sound/video stuff...

the first cut is the deepest

2005-10-14T11:05:00.000-05:00

Day one of editing! So far just organizing and circling the footage and sound clips, but now am in a position to really dig in this weekend. I've got my scenes broken up in order - the story is all there! Now the fun begins - choosing among the takes, and figuring out which angles to use for which moments, etc. I need to sync the sound to the footage before I start chopping further, but I think I will make a first pass at selecting clips without the distraction of sound - just look at the actors faces.

Met with my composer last night, and am very excited about that! She played me a clip of what she has so far, and I was incredibly moved. As in pre-production with the artistic director, actors and DP, the idea that someone would create something new out of my story is just awe-inspiring.

Lo-ong weekend

2005-10-12T08:48:00.000-05:00

Was AD on Jeff Bruyere's film, Tread Lightly, this weekend. Five locations and a car scene in 2 days. 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Great crew and cast - the community here is great for that. Everyone kept their sense of humour, even during the long days, and even though we don't get paid!

Some amazing scenes! Strongest memory is a giant hand smashing through a window and glass flying around the actor and then directly at me. Felt like slow-motion. Amazing. The sound was incredible. And very fun to watch cars at the bottom of Westview Park braking to see what we were up to with a Saskwatch howling on top of the hill. Or before that, when the fog machine made it look like Garbage Hill was on fire.

Good experience as an AD. Lots to think about and plenty to try to help plan ahead of time and figure out on the day, just to keep things going smoothly and moving along.

Notes for future reference:

- When using a generator, have an extra can of gas at the ready
- When shooting outdoors in Manitoba in October, have a campfire scene so you can go warm up, and provide hotdogs and marshmallows for all!
- When shooting a cabin scene, try to make it someplace you can get for free instead of having to pay by the hour. Ouch!

Now to start editing my own film! Finally!

Beyond Boundaries

2005-10-08T00:31:00.000-05:00

Just returned from a very stimulating conference in Grand Forks, ND. The title was Beyond Boundaries, and the topic was technology in (higher) education.

Some great speakers. One of the most interesting was George Siemens, and the great news is my office has already lined him up to come speak at the U of M later this month. His work on connectivism reminds me of my neural net map research back in my linguistic grad student days. Everything old is new again.

Speaking of being a grad student, being at a conference where academics were discussing things with actual Real World Applications made me consider for the first time in a long time returning to school. I would definitely be interested in continuing to discuss some of the issues raised at this higher level, to learn more and put my own ideas out there. I get to do some of that through my current day job, but it was great to hear people talking about things that have been on the edge of my attention, and to formulate and articulate my own thoughts on these topics: the impact of technology on students and citizens in general, the implications of social communities on the web, whether classrooms are even needed anymore, what life-long learning means, etc.

So will have to think about that, but in the meantime, will learn more on the web, natch.

Grant Happy

2005-09-27T17:25:00.000-05:00

I'm whipping up two grants that are due Friday - one for Manitoba Arts Council (screenwriting) and one for Canada Council (new media). For both I am what is called an "emerging artist" - someone who has had some training and done some projects, but is not yet a Professional. Can I just say how much I LOVE and appreciate Canada's support of the arts? In the States, if you are very lucky and very definitely a professional, you might be able to get some funding, but I've never heard of funding for new artists.

I might be one of the few people who enjoys writing grants. Completing the forms and writing the essays forces me to articulate what it is I want to do, why I want to do it, and why I think it's worth doing. It also forces/allows me to define myself as an Artist, and to describe all the projects and training I've been working on - giving me an opportunity to see how far I've come in the last 2-3 years. Plus, it makes me focus - I've now done research and written an outline for a feature-length film that was before just a scribble of an idea. And whether or not I get the funding, now that I have the Plans mapped out more fully, I will make these projects happen!

In other exciting news, this afternoon I transferred the DV tape from the lab (they developed it from the 16mm and put it on digital tape) to my portable hard drive to bring home - I might have to not load it up here until those applications are done or near done - I'm totally pumped to get into the editing process - watching the footage in real time really got me thinking about what shots I want to use where. It's all gorgeous, thanks to my crew and cast!

Looks Good! Sounds Good!

2005-09-22T10:25:00.000-05:00

Shew. Finally had a chance yesterday to go see the footage returned from the lab and hear a bit of the recordings rescued from the digital nagra. A big relief that there's no strange line down the middle of the frame or distortion on the audio.

In general, I'm really pleased. The outdoor stuff is gorgeous, the actors come across great. My only concern is the colours inside - not quite as vibrant as I'd hoped. I'll talk to my Director of Photography about that - see what he was going for. Since I'm finishing on digital, I can play around with it a bit.

It's been funny to me how many people aren't aware of the editing stage. They figure I'm "done" now that I've finished shooting and they'll be able to see it in a week or two. I'm reading a great book of interviews with editors - First Cut by Gabriella Oldham. They talk a lot about the anonymity of being an editor - a blessing and a frustration.

Won't get a chance to really dive into editing until next week, when I go back to the film group's lab to actually batch capture the 50 minutes of footage (!! 10:1 ratio for a 5 minute film - maybe I have 6 minutes...) Then I'll copy the files over to my hard drive and take it home to start editing there.

That leaves my weekend free to catch up on email and work on some web projects - will post them when they are live.

Agreed to be Assistant Director on a short film in a few weeks for my friend Jeff Bruyere - he was the Art Director on Coffee Maker. I'm looking forward to that - should be a fun shoot.

In Limbo

2005-09-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

I’m about half-way through a tri-state tour of Midwestern USA (IL, IN, & OH). Probably for the best that I’m not in Winnipeg right now, checking in each day at the Film Group. “Is my film back yet? Is it back yet?” My DP got a call from the lab last week, so at least I know it made it that far and there was something on the film for them to see.

The trip has been fun, but it’s odd to be on such variable sleep/eat/be/focus time. Hoping that once I get home, I’ll be able to get back into a rhythm of working on My Projects in the mornings and going to the Day Job in the afternoons. The summer has involved so much travel and special activities, that I’ve probably only had my Ideal Schedule less than half the time.

But it’s great to see friends, to fulfill that priority to myself. And got a new perspective on Chicago, a place I’d visited a few times before:

(the reflection is from inside “the bean” pictured above - a groovy interactive sculpture in Millenium Park).

In Light of Recent Events

2005-09-03T10:31:00.000-05:00

Last weekend the hurricane in the South was a blip in the back of my mind, but as events unfolded this week, I found myself caught up in the horror of those who remain trapped and desperate in the New Orleans region.

In that dark mode, how to justify something as "meaningless" as creating art?

But then I remember our mission in life is to help each other make it through.

A vaccuum has been created, devoid of not just Law and Structure, but hope and joy. We must do what we can to fill that void with hope and love and kindness and joy and yes, beauty and art, even in, especially in, the face of despair and fear. We must bring light to a world that threatens sometimes to be consumed by darkness.

If you haven't chosen a place to donate, I recommend the Houston Food Bank. Because of their partnerships, a $1 donation buys about $5 worth of groceries, and a $100 donation buys almost 4000 meals.

Earlier this year, I came across this poem by Jack Gilbert, Refusing Heaven, and it says it all to me:

A Brief for the Defense

Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies
are not starving someplace, they are starving
somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils.
But we enjoy our lives because that's what God wants.
Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not
be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not
be fashioned so miraculously well. The poor women
at the fountain are laughing together between
the suffering they have known and the awfulness
in their future, smiling and laughing while somebody
in the village is very sick. There is laughter
every day in the terrible streets of Calcutta,
and the women laugh in the cages of Bombay.

If we deny our happiness, resist our satisfaction,
we lessen the importance of their deprivation.
We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless
furnace of this world. To make injustice the only
measure of our attention is to praise the Devil.

If the locomotive of the Lord runs us down,
we should give thanks that the end had magnitude.
We must admit there will be music despite everything.
We stand at the prow again of a small ship
anchored late at night in the tiny port
looking over to the sleeping island: the waterfront
is three shuttered cafés and one naked light burning.
To hear the faint sound of oars in the silence as a rowboat
comes slowly out and then goes back is truly worth
all the years of sorrow that are to come.

Photos are up!

2005-08-30T10:58:00.000-05:00

Day Two went great! A little longer day than Saturday, but we knew that was a possibility. The scene between the two principals was terrific, and after 3 tries, we got the big exploding coffee mug scene to work!

At the end of the day, it all felt a little unreal - suddenly it seemed to have flown by so quickly.

Photos from the shoot are now up - click HERE

Now just need to pray everything goes well with shipping and processing - we need a lab in Winnipeg, so we can drop it off in person! (And stand there and watch if possible...) Can't wait to start editing - there's so much great stuff waiting there for me - plenty of great choices!

A shout-out to my awesome crew, who made it all possible!

Marjo and Tracey: You guys were amazing! Thanks for providing such beautiful performances and making it so easy!

Heather: We're gonna make you a stah! Thanks for stepping in!

Kevin: Thanks for keeping me calm and keeping us on track - without raising your voice once!

Andrew: It's gonna be gorgeous! Let's make another one! But get some rest first...

Jonathan: Above and beyond the call - hope you had a safe drive on Monday!

Cam: Thanks for coming in! Nice to work with you!

Jeff: Thanks for putting such thought into creating Ann's home - and the breakable mug!

Kellie and Mike P.: Can't wait to hear the great sounds you caught for me! Thanks for coming out on such last minute notice!

Mike L.: You rock - thanks so much for loading in and out - saved my back and hours of time!

Ariel: Without you, the crew would have turned on me - thanks for keeping our spirits and energy up with delicious food and cold drinks!

Harlan: Glad you could make it out on Saturday - continuing our streak of working together!

Chris: Thanks for all your support before, during and after - and for the runs to the store and Tim Horton's!

Tracy, Kathleen and Rene: Thanks for sharing your houses, yards and electricity with us!

And thanks to Dianne & Bill, and Jay & Tessa for the loan of key items!

Most. Satisfying. Day. Ever.

2005-08-28T03:25:00.000-05:00

My first day of shooting was all I could possibly hope. The rain held off for the outdoor shot (with the exception of one moment that sent us all scurrying, equipment protected under our jackets). We were able to use the back yards and alley without incident from the neighbourhood - our local city rep even dropped by. Me: "I'm Polly Washburn, the Director. Welcome to our community film studio. "

Sooo many satisfying moments, but a few include:

Seeing my name on the slate in the Director slot

Hearing the assistant camera call and mark the first shot

Working with the cast and DP through a few moments that weren't quite what I wanted until I got what I was going for.

Watching the Machine at work - a dozen talented and hard-working people collected for a single purpose - to transform the vision in my head into a silicon 'reality'

Sitting around eating with the crew at 6 p.m., fulfilling my promise to them that we would have days of reasonable length

After a particularly long setup and hold for the exact right cloud cover, getting the Exact Shot I wanted - I've been able to watch on a hand-held monitor - sweet.

Seeing how beautiful the actresses look through the viewfinder

Realizing there's going to be lots of gorgeous moments for me to choose from in editing

Another thing that's been great is to gain a further appreciation for shot lists, story boards, and my role as Script Supervisor on other people's sets. Until going through it myself, I could never fully appreciate how easy it is to get "lost" in your own shoot. Several times I had to go to the side with my Assistant Director before moving on from a set up, to make sure we'd covered everything I had said in pre-production that I wanted to cover.

Fun to fall asleep in a house filled with film gear...

Pics and The Conclusion of the Story after day 2 of 2.

Open City

2005-08-24T06:18:00.000-05:00

Went to the Open City conference last week. Interesting stuff.

I was officially there representing the University, where I act as digital copyright clearance advisor. But as a creator, was definitely interested in the dialogue about balancing the rights of content creators and those wishing to use and manipulate content.

Unfortunately, attendance was very low, but the presenters (Russell McOrmond, Liza Sabater, Diana Thorneycroft,Members of PLUG) were excellent, and we had a lot of good round-table discussions. And I got an introduction to Open Source and Linux - where have I been all these years?

Was definitely won over to the point of view that artists, educators and the general public need to definitely not swallow Bill-C60 as a good solution. Need to study its implications more, and will try to comment here. In the meantime, there's a site KillBillC60.com that presents some of the dangers.

But a little distracted by making my film this weekend... Trying to stay calm, but not easy. Lost a few crew members, but gained some crucial new ones this week, so overall, I think it will all go well... Just the little details that are making me nervous (Will power hold up or will we blow a fuse? Will the weather hold up for the outdoor scene? Will we have enough food for the crew? Will we get stuck in a 3-hour lighting change? Will the much-used film group camera develop a strange tic? Will we run out of film?) Definitely need a production manager next time around...

Did buy production insurance to ease some of my fretting, and the DoP and I are going to check out the equipment today, to make sure it's in working order. Don't think we have time to do a reg test on the camera, so we'll just have to have faith...

Worth It

2005-08-18T22:36:00.000-05:00

Shew, emotional day.

I was freaking out getting all the details set for the film shoot, that is suddenly, thanks to an impromptu road trip that took me out of town for 5 days, next weekend. I even asked myself at one point if this was all worth it. Wondered why I'd applied for the funding in the first place. Wondered why I take on these creative projects - why can't I just be satisfied with lying on the couch?

I haven't felt this stressed out since I quit my job last year, so just feeling that old familiar anxiety was adding to the pressure.

Had to remind myself that yes, I could have a normal job and day to day worries instead of things like "Will the film get here in time?" "Can I find a truck at this late date?" "Who the heck is going to record sound?" "Can I figure out how to make the scenes work with my actors?" But I've chosen this. Some inspiational speaker said "The only time you won't have troubles is when you're buried in the grave." Cheery, in'it? The point being for me that figuring out details is part of the package. It takes work to make a movie, and I'm not (yet) in a position to waggle a finger at someone else to do that work for me. It takes work to do almost anything creative, and I just have to rise above the genetic tendency to stress.

But even with all these rationalizations, at 6 p.m. my stomach was still tight and I wanted to crawl under the bed. Except I had to clean the house for rehearsal.

And then we had the rehearsal. Three and a half hours flew by. I'm exhausted but it was worth it. I know again, now that I'm again in the True Work of it, that it is all worth it. Incredible moments when I was able to step in and fix something that we all knew just wasn't going right. Amazing to get confirmation that yes, I do have the intuition to make those calls. Though admittedly other moments where I saw that I need to get more experience working with actors, to develop a language to communicate my proposed solutions. But that can happen.

As we were going through the scenes, I began seeing the cuts: "We won't need to shoot her walking across the room to do X, we'll just go right to the close up of Y" (scintillating script, eh?) I'm meeting Sunday with the DoP to finalize the shot list together, and now I have a much clearer understanding of what I want and need, and what we can probably skip, so I'll be able to verbalize that much more coherently than our last meeting.

Soooo thrilling to see that this is actually going to happen. Because part of the stress was fear - that it wouldn't happen at all somehow, or that it would suck. But faith has returned. While I can't guarantee that every second will be gold, there are going to be some beautiful shots. Just as I imagined them from the beginning, 8 months ago...

R.I.P. WWG

2005-08-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

For three years, I met about twice a month with 4 other writers. Last year, one of those writers departed for other creative ventures, and over the course of this year, the rest of us have gotten increasingly involved in other activities and projects, so we haven't met as often. This week, we finally decided it was time to put the group to sleep. We drank wine, ate cake and thanked each other for all the support.

As you can see at this news page, the last four years have been productive for all of us. Between us we reviewed and edited three novels, several reams of poetry, a bushel of short stories, a screenplay and a whack of applications for grants and programs. We helped each other stay on target with writing goals, and bucked each other up when the unavoidable rejection letters came in. We shared our words, and ideas about writing, schedules, books we were reading on The Craft.

We created a chapbook, and had a couple of readings, which was definitely a great step in feeling like a Real Writer.

I'll definitely miss the camaraderie and the deadlines, but I've gotten pretty dang good at setting and fulfilling my own deadlines for projects. The group served its purpose, and I will certainly thank them in the acknowledgment section of my first novel, when it's finally published...

One of the other members, Ariel, has also written a tribute in her blog.

Geeking out!

2005-08-05T09:36:00.000-05:00

YES! Made my first MySQL database and queried it via PHP and fixed connection problems and actually extracted some data!

Here are the amazing results:
SOOOO proud of myself (and who wouldn't be? Did you get a gander at that data??). I'd circled around MySQL for several weeks now, trying to find out if there was something easier I could use for web database stuff, but finally took advantage of the long weekend to take the plunge and discovered I didn't need anything simpler. (used this excellent introductory tutorial). I'd been studying JavaScript for the last few weeks, so was pleased to find PHP rather accessible. By Monday, I got close to figuring it all out, but ran into a connection problem, and didn't have time to get back to it until today, but I got in there and DID it. All By Myself.

And now the world is my oyster - ANYTHING is possible. All the ideas in my head can find their way to the screen!

In another minor miracle of technology, my awesome much-utilized digital watch/stopwatch/alarm (aka Watchy), the screen of which had freaked out a week ago, came back to life today. Will make a note that it doesn't like to go in the water anymore... Maybe I can get it to talk to my Palm (aka Palmy), whose screen is also on the blink for some reason...

In less-geeky more-cool but no-less-exciting news, the first rehearsal last week was an amazing experience. Total collaborative and creative process. We improvised some back story and I was actually moved to tears by these two women adding weight to the characters I had created...

All the colours in the rainbow + one

2005-07-29T08:05:00.000-05:00

Woke up yesterday still juggling with this question of what I should be focusing on, and if it was ok to put writing on the back burner to some other projects right now. Wrote in my morning pages, "Universe, I welcome your input on this!" Moments later, walked into another room and opened up the shades to see this:

Talk about your messages from the Universe! Love the second rainbow - something can be secondary, not foreground right now, but add to the beauty of the first. Doesn't have to be all or nothing...

So then I went to get my new hairstyle:

Hint: the blue wasn't there before... What's really interesting is that indoors it blends into the darkness of my hair, but in sunlight it's striking! My "outside" personality vs. my office personality perhaps...

I've never dyed my hair before - fun! It's like when you're young, you play with your dolls hair and clothes and move them around, and tell stories about their lives. When you're in your twenties you find out you can control the doll that is you. Change her hair! Give her new clothes! Change her job! Take her out somewhere new! Feed her! Give her a new boyfriend! Give her a would-be girlfriend! Confuse her! Abandon her! Watch her cry! Pump her full of bio-chemicals but don't tell her the cure! Move her from city to city!

Since some of these things are now off the docket, the hair is a fine area to play with pseudo-dramatic change... Help her preserve her youth! And the stories I create can be about other people's dramas - don't have to create my own...

Jane of All Trades?

2005-07-26T04:03:00.000-05:00

Up Early - wonder if I can get by on 5-6 hours of sleep per night. That would rock.

Have been pondering lately about the diffusion of creative energy. There is a general belief that we must choose one thing to be good at if we are to succeed. Michael Jordan couldn't play baseball, it turned out. The phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none" echoes in my ears.

But there are other examples. Leonardo da Vinci (not to reach TOO high...) was a brilliant scientist and artist. My friend Julia is a scientist and writer/philosopher/inspirational teacher. My friend Zadie is attempting to find a way to combine her passion for music and theatre. (this is one area where it's apparently acceptable to excel at two artistic fields). John Lennon enjoyed writing and performing songs, but also drawing and political activism. There are many actor/directors.

I've never been able to choose only one area to focus on. As an undergrad at Oberlin, I was fortunate enough to get a good old fashioned Liberal Arts Education. I took a bit of everything my first two years, then got to the stage where we had to pick a major. I literally flipped through the catalogue until I stumbled across the category "Interdisciplinary Studies." Here I found something I could live with - instead of taking 2-3 courses in one subject for my final 2 years, I could continue to try it all.

I admit it: I want it all. When my husband and I travel, we're known for "packing it in." Why visit one city/state when you can visit five? The down side is sometimes we only have time for a one-hour quickie visit. But that still feels better than no visit at all...

So it is with my creative life. Perhaps if I focused all my energy on writing fiction, I would become more skilled. But I think instead I would become bored an frustrated. Some people can apparently write for 4-8 hours a day. One to two is about all I can handle. If I can get out my 1000 words or so, that's enough for one day. There doesn't seem to be a writerly equivalent to doing scales - writing letters of the alphabet? The only activities I know that help prime the pump are Morning Pages and freewriting. So that's another hour, max.

Editing I can do for longer stretches and at any time of day (as opposed to writing, which is generally a morning-only activity), but just barely. 2-3 hours at the most.

Same with poetry. How many hours can I give to creating and editing poetry in a single day? Certainly more than I do, but I just know in my heart that I couldn't spend ALL my time on poetry. It's just Not Enough for me.

So that leaves so many hours in the day! One thing Julia's book Unfolding taught me was to follow my energy. My energy leads me to to screenwriting (a natural progression) and from there to filmmaking (another form of story-telling), but also to a very different area of manipulating digital images by making web pages and Flash animations and programming code!

I sometimes ask myself "If you HAD to choose only one thing, which would it be?" Not writing fiction - it feels like Work too often. Not poetry, as I would get so caught up in language that I might literally start to sound nuts. Film is too exhausting to do full-time. Which leaves the computer stuff - something I can do anytime of day, that gets me excited, turns my crank, uses both my geek math side and my visual sensibilities, and has endless possibilities. And oh yeah, pays the bills. And the only time it feels like Work is when I'm making a website for a client and trying to answer to their vision of how it should look. But even then, that feels like a challenge - how can I make this work?

Interesting, didn't know I was going to wax so eloquently about interactive digital media (how happy was I to discover THAT term?) when I began to write that last paragraph. Maybe I'm not as torn as I think I am... The thing about writing is that it's how I've defined myself as an Artist for the last several years. It took a long time to give myself permission to even BE a writer/Artist. I don't want to give it up, and I don't think I need to. But it's definitely NOT my sole obsession, or creative outlet. And I need to give myself permission for that to be O-K.

More on this to come, I'm sure...

Summer of Creative Bliss

2005-07-20T12:02:00.000-05:00

Have been chastised for not updating my blog, but really truly so much is happening that it's hard to justify taking time to do something that has no deadline/tangible product. But justification if needed for myself is that a) I've just cleared through an email box called "reply to" that included a note from 2003! Sad. So the least I can do is catch up here for random friends and passers-by and after all, a request was made...

and b) it would be good to Document some of this incredible creative activity for myself. After 3 years of sneaking in an hour here or there, it's overwhelming to have these 6-hour blocks of time to focus on My Projects.

Cast 2 great actresses for my short The Coffee Maker (Marjolaine Hébert and Tracy McMahon). We'll be getting together this week to get to know each other and plan a couple of rehearsals. I've been warned by two people I trust not to "over-rehearse" so I'm going to take that to heart, especially as it's such a short film - save it for the camera baby! I'm very psyched to have Andrew Forbes as my DoP. I'm waiting for him to get back from a trip to Europe and a gig in T.O., but he has already shared some great ideas he has about shooting.

Before the auditions, I was feeling a bit over my head, but they went great, and now I'm hooked I tell you - talking about and applying film theory like how to get performances out of actors, having other people think about my ideas and vision and how to make it happen, hearing people try to bring my words to life - heady stuff.

Trying to storyboard a short animated film to be made in Photoshop/Flash. Something I've wanted to do for a while, but had a story inspiration this weekend so now I have something to work with.

Script supervised on David Zellis's comic bloodfest for 2 weekends this month. Had to fight nausea at times, as I can't really watch this kind of thing in general even on the screen, but the crew and cast were so fun that it was actually a great time.

Editing poetry to include in the WWG's upcoming chapbook. Enjoyed the MayDay poem-a-day project, and am culling poems from there to edit and add to the send out file. Need to send out another set of poems - like to do groups of 5 and the final set came back recently. Batted 1 for 5 - not bad.

Struggling to get back to a Daily Writing Hour so I can work on Sisters aka The Family Novel [titles submissions welcome], as I did get a grant for it and apparently told them I'd be done by the end of summer!

Studying up on CSS and applying it to creating a website for the Winnipeg International Writers Festival. Reserved a couple of domain names for potential sites for me to run, though I haven't touched TTT in months... More details to come...

Reading: A Complicated Kindness (finally), Cracking the Millionaire Code, The World's Greatest Salesman (yes, really!), The Screenwriter Within, Developing Digital Short Films, and - yummy - Javascript Programming. Haven't gotten my hands on the new Harry Potter yet...

Fave movie so far this summer: Wedding Crashers - I'm a sucker for Owen Wilson's blond spacey sincerity - oi.

Back in Toastmasters to try to raise my speaking skills up another notch. Had another disasterous recital experience, so have been talking to one of my musician friends about how to perform more confidently - strange that the public speaking skills don't translate over.

Planning a big bash for our 5th Anniversary in August. Hard to believe it's been 5 years, but we worked hard to get where we are now as a couple and as individuals and deserve to celebrate!

Had a great trip to Oklahoma and the East Coast. Saw friends and family and went to games in Camden Yards, Yankee stadium and Fenway. May get down to SD/MN/KS in August for one last summer roadtrip. Need to buy a new-used car before that happens!

The Day Job is fine - the stress level is non-existent, and get to learn about digital copyright, free culture, digital learning objects, web coding and accessibility, etc. All good.

And to top it off, Canada passed Gay Marriage=Okie Dokie Act. You go, Canada!

OK so that's it for now. Will see if I can work regular blog updating into my Schedule/Action List. (multi-sheet Excel spreadsheet, believe it!)

Peace out.

update

2005-04-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

Since we're starting our fabby May Day month of poetry creation, I suppose I should have a presence here in blogland.

What's been going on? Started a new half-time position. So mornings I work on my creative projects and then go into my Job in the afternoons. The job so far is unstressful yet interesting enough to keep me engaged. So it's fulfilling its role.

What are the creative projects?
First Film Fund - we've taken a few workshops, now I'm putting together a crew and hoping to shoot in July
Poetry - writing and submitting
Feature-length screenplay - at outline stage. Reading Story and William Goldman's hilarious Which Lie do I Tell?
Flash - becoming more proficient in animating and coding
Web Sites - one paid freelance project, one volunteer project, one Brilliant Idea of a site/company for me to run. And have to decide what to do with takethetiller.org
Wealth Creation - Studying The Enlightened Millionaire - inspirational!
Selling the Novel - sending out queries and chapters and synopses to publishers
The Family Novel - this will become a more focused project if WAC funds it, otherwise it stays on the bottom of the pile
The Chapbook - our writing group is putting together a second chapbook - still in the initial stages of determining content
Drawing - trying to improve my meager skill in this area, so my storyboards don't suck - and I have a cartoon series I thought of recently...
Maya - 3D drawing! Super-fricking cool!
Piano - I recently graduated to Book 4 in the Royal Conservatory series

That's what I've worked on this first month anyway - we'll see what next month brings!

film film film

2005-03-03T05:28:00.000-06:00

This week is the FilmExchange Festival, so I'm deep into it! Last night was the SnowScreen - animation and experimental film projected onto a carved block of snow. God bless hardy hearty Winnipeggers - at least 400 out, some even to the bitter end.

I'm working hard, but enjoying meeting the shorts filmmakers and seeing their passion for their art. Excited that I'll be joining them this year - I found out I am one of the people selected for the Winnipeg Film Group's First Film Fund. Hooray!

Good News!

2005-02-10T13:38:00.000-06:00

Some Very Good News for me. I found out that Lichen literary magazine
is going to publish two of my poems in their upcoming Spring issue on
the theme of "Rooms". It's a small Canadian press, but hey, that
doubles my print poetry credits! I've got 4 more sets of poems out
there, so let's hope this is the beginning of a trend...

Just in time for a grant application I'm writing - sweet!

Testing the waters

2005-01-31T11:24:00.000-06:00

I've periodically updated a blog at livejournal over the last 2 years, but in a space of a week, two admirable friends have opened up shop over here. (Hello Ariel and Zoe!)

I've used it for politics, life updates, and creativity updates. I like the idea of having a few blogs for different uses...

So I will experiment and see how it works to blog over here! Perhaps I will be a little more regular if I have people responding!