Mood:  hug me

Last week, I finally got in my yearly trip to Branson. Usually I go in the spring, when it's cooler, but this year life got in the way, so it was off to Branson in July. Luckily, it wasn't too hot. Oh, it was hot all right, but I've been there at times when it felt like the asphalt was going to melt the soles of your shoes.

 Anyway, I saw 50s at the Hop, News Country Show, and The Rankin Brothers (picture below).

I've seen a lot of changes in Branson throughout the years, from the uncontrolled growth in the early 90s, to the economic slowdown in the last few years. It just finally got too big. There was a time when you saw a lot of no-vacancies on motels, and you bought your show tickets way ahead of time. But now, there are too many shows, too many malls, and too many choices. I still love Branson and will go there, but it'll be interesting to see what changes the current slowdown brings.

 The highlight of the trip was finding a wonderful, charming restaurant called Billy Gail's. It's on highway 265. Go west on 76, and turn left on 265, and it's just a little ways ahead. The atmosphere is charming and the food was out of this world. I WILL be going back.

The pancakes were out of this world. I should say...pancake (singular). One pancake was the size of a hubcap! And good!!!!!

Try Billy Gails.

Till next time... 

Mood:  caffeinated

Well, it's the final day of the Bare Bones International Film Festival. I was sick on the day our film was screened and didn't get to attend. But...if today works out, then maybe I can go to the awards show and experience part of the festival. That's the plan anyway.

Does it ever seem like the most important things that happen in your life are the things that you cannot share? It seems like I spent 90% of my time NOT letting out what I feel inside. Sometimes it's like a bottle of soda pop--where the lid is gonna blow off from the pressure. I've spent so much time over the last few months, thinking about the film festival, and people's reactions and/or lack of reactions.

Anyway...today is one of those "life experiences"...where you just hang onto your hat, and experience the ride.

Have a great day!

Mood:  on fire

It's been an intense week. I wanted to shoot a viewer created ad for a contest. I misjudged the deadline, and couldn't do it. But it was a great idea. So, I looked up more contests. Found one that I could adapt the idea to....and I needed a very specific actor--who was not available. So, along with Don--my partner in the crazy business we call filmmaking--we tried to pull the shoot together. I probably ran 60 scenarios of the situation in my head--trying to figure a way to make it work.  We couldn't. So if that was plan A, then on to plan B. I need 2 actors (any will do), a new location and a new idea. Grrr...hate losing the old idea, but if I want this done, then I must adapt. Plan B didn't come together. On to plan C? Okay...for plan C, one actor, one location. A very kind businessperson in the community allowed me to film at her place of business. I have one actor available--ME. And no crew. So, I shot Plan C by remote control. By then, I'd about decided sound was a major issue, so I decided to shoot MOS  (without sound). Then it occurred to me--why not play old-timey piano music and make the scene silent, with placards, and make it like an old time movie?

So, Monday I had the idea for the shoot, and got permission Tuesday morning to film at the lady's place of business. Then I filmed it Tuesday afternoon, and started writing the music, and figuring out how to time the musical cues to the video footage.

Wednesday morning about 5 am, I started editing video footage. Then on to the recording studio to record music. I'm in the process of converting the studio from analog to digital, and this is the first time I've utilized digitally recorded music from my own studio--so of course there are bugs to work out.

Get the music footage inserted in the video footage, and edit and edit and edit some more. Whew! I'm exhausted already. Then the jitters hit, which could be all the unknowns of the situation and not having enough time to plan and fully think things thru--or it could be the coffee I had trying to get jump started. I called Don and begged for 5 minutes of his time, so he could go over things and see what I missed.

He said he liked it, and he thought it was ready to go.

So, I follow the rules, and upload the commercial to YouTube.

It's available for viewing at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBKnynovw70

Here is a still from the event:

So, it was about 48 hours from conception of the idea to finished project.

It's fun, but it's exhausting! Whew!

Mood:  mischievious

Most people seem to have the attitude, "I can't". What is it to have the attitude that anything is possible?  What is it when you can't see the end of something, because you don't live your life by the conventions set up by everyone else?

What is it to consider any eventuality and to try to make it happen? To go to a place so far beyond your comfort zone that you don't even recognize it? To accomplish the impossible? To be that alive?

What is it when you live a life so far "out there" that most people will never recognize it, understand it, or understand you?

That's where I live my life. It can be super lonely. You get really tired of people looking at you like you're nuts. They can't journey to the places that you go, for one reason, and the one reason is that they won't let themselves. They'll use any excuse, but the barrier and boundary is in their own minds.

 I can't  NOT do this. I was born to create. I just wish that the people I encounter in my everyday life could understand it--just a little.

Is that too much to ask?

Mood:  hug me

Deep Space 9

Scripted television

Mac & cheese

Football (sad it's over for the year  )

Things with motors

Good friends--(you know who you are)

Lunch! LOL

Mood:  quizzical

I've never watched an episode of American Idol all the way through. People are surprised when they ask me about the show, and I tell them I don't watch it. They figure that since I'm in the entertainment business, that's at the top of my priority list. I have watched a segment here or there, or I watched about 15 minutes during one season finale.

But I watched about a half hour or forty-five minutes of the show this week.

I'm still not impressed. There are some contestants there who do a fine job of moving air over their vocal cords.

But singing and entertaining is soooo much more than that. There's a line from a song that goes, "Boy can you make folks feel what you feel inside?"

Singing is about communicating. And I look at those contestants who I had the misfortune to see the other night and I'm just puzzled. NONE of them had IT.

IT, whatever it is, or however you want to describe it, is that elusive "star quality".

Perhaps these contestants can sing, but so few of them can move; emote; convince; convey; or even act.

To be successful in the entertainment business, one has to have everything--the whole kit 'n kaboodle, and those contestants I saw the other night--DON'T.

You have to feel sorry for them. They want THIS so badly.

I admit it takes guts to get up there, "put it out there" and try. Most people never get that far. But these wanna-bes don't have the chops for what it takes, and will never know what they are missing.

Can IT be learned, or is it innate? I have no idea. But how can a 17 year old convincingly sing about life--when he or she hasn't lived it?

Yes, I know there have been some teen artists who have made it big...but on the whole...watching some wanna-be perform inadequately on television is not my idea of a fun evening.

Give me some real music any day...

Mood:  bright

Have you seen the Jimmy Kimmel video "I'm ******* Ben Affleck"?

It's been getting web attention for a week, and I just watched it. It's hilarous! But what strikes me, is the number of people who lined up to be in it. This is a video clip that is created for art--for fun--and not for commerce.

Imagine how many of those artists have teams of dealmakers, and how many contract points have to be negotiated before one of them appears in a movie, television show, or sound recording? But this video was in pure fun, and I don't know when I've laughed so much.

Vince Gill was on tv last week, and he talked about his 43 song CD, which was quite a risk, but was a critical success and just won a Grammy, and he used the phrase, "Try to show people what art looks like, rather than commerce..."

That's the absolute truth. And the commerce has gotten so big and so corporate controlled, that we've lost true sight of what art is about in the first place. So, Thanks Vince for making great music, without selling it out. And thanks Jimmy (and friends) for making a video thats sole purpose was to make people laugh.

We need more of that.

Mood:  spacey

Are the Oscars worth it? That's the question that was asked on a CNN article a few days ago. I posted a comment to the comment section, which didn't get picked to be listed, but still, are the Oscars worth it?

It seems like each year I look forward to the Oscars, and it's such a let down. Everyone else seems to hate long speeches by the winners. I guess I'm the only person who thinks "let them talk". It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it'd be nice to hear what they have to say.

I say cut the stupid insipid banter between presenters. It's poorly written and even more poorly executed. I say cut the opening sequence. It takes up time, and really--except for Billy Crystal--who has pulled off a good one?

Anyway, the original article was at:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/13/oscars.criticism/index.html

Have a great day!