The Half-Million Dollar Wedding

A little over a week ago, I got an interesting video production gig. It was for the TV show 'Platinum Weddings', which airs on the cable WE channel. This reality TV series documents very extravagant weddings. The nuptials took place at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC, and truly, I've not seen something so luxurious in my whole life. The wedding was of a young Jewish couple, Alexis and Noah--they couldn't have been any older than 25 years old--and the whole affair was, for the most part, very religious. All men wore black (so did everyone who was crew-ing at the wedding), complete with yamakas (little knit caps). After a 'contract ceremony', in which the men gathered to see the rabbi, groom, and several witnesses ratify an agreement for the bride, there was another ceremony to unveil the bride to the groom.

This ceremony was in turn followed by the actual, traditional wedding ceremony most are acquainted with. The exchanging of vows was like something out of a Hollywood ceremony: Held on the large backyard of the Shoreham hotel with over 200 select guests in attendance. Suffice it to say, the bride looked stunning in her long-tailed white dress. There were many camera crews--both video and photo--capturing every moment. Everything was arranged at top-notch standards. You would have thought it was Julia Roberts' wedding.

And that was just the start of the celebration. After the vows, came the first reception, held at a wide, open restaurant area in the hotel. Vegan finger food was served while a duo of Japanese musicians played mood music on string instruments. An hour later came the official wedding banquet, a separate sit-down dinner held in an adjacent room. The table and plate settings were meticulously planned and executed, and the vaulted ceiling of the room was professionally lit with leafy patterns. All tables were lit with floating candles. There was another set of musicians here, singing while the couple ate. Several friends and family members came forward to toast the couple. The bride's young brother even played some classical piano.

Then there was yet another room. This one a 'dance ballroom' where the newly-married couple was introduced yet again and danced on a custom-ordered hand-painted dance floor. Another set of musicians played up-tempo tunes while everyone danced. Succulent desserts were served by the waiting staff: little custard cakes and italian strawberry ice cream served right off carved-ice bowls. The groom and bride's parents were thoroughly celebrated. They did that dance when they lift people up in their chairs. There were even more celebratory toasts and the couple finally cut a slice of a rich, multi-layered chocolate cake. Who knew people partied like this? (Of course, I had to be on my tippy-toes through all this, as I was there working with a video crew)

You thought it be over right there, but it wasn't. This was an exceptional wedding. Those who were left standing after all this took their party to a special late-night dance club set at yet another one of the Shoreham large event rooms. Long, white drapes were stretched to the ceiling to serve as make-shift walls. A large event-lighting array, akin to that of a concert, was set at the center of the room, complete with a disco ball. Large flat-panel tv sets set around the scene displayed freshly-taken pictures of the lucky couple. There were waiters everywhere serving plenty of bubbly champagne. And specially-hired 'hip-hop dancers', all dressed in white, where there to get partygoers moving on the dance floor.

This whole event was organized to much success by a woman named Jamie Greenwald. I congratulated her at the end of the night, because she truly carried out the festivities to a level of accomplishment that impressed me. I really enjoy to see people who know what they're doing, and she was one of those people--precise, in control, and in her element.

We had started shooting the event around 11am. By the time we were done, it was 1am. I had not expected for a Sunday wedding to go that long. It was a sincere, hard day's work.

At one point, while talking to another video crew member, I took a guess that the wedding most have costed about 100 grand. I was quickly corrected--it was more like 250 grand. This crew member in turn was then corrected--it was actually over half a million dollars! The bill was footed by the bride's grandparents, who must've been loaded. The bride's father himself was a retired navy admiral. It's surreal to watch people with money carrying out like that when you are used to making do with much less.

I was left with the thought of how much in love this young couple seemed to be. They truly looked unbelievably happy, and they seemed incredibly lucky. For a moment, I envied them. God only knows if I'll ever be married. I was also left wondering if they would last, if their union, after such a grandiose start, would stand the test of time in an era where most marriages crash and burn so easily. Was such a costly celebration really worth it? Between their upraising and their tight-knit families, they seemed to have the foundation for a long, happy marriage. For their sake, I sincerely hope so. Alexis and Noah better be together until their golden years.

This particular wedding will be feature in the TV show 'Platinum Weddings' sometime late this year or next year... in case you come across the thing on cable.

Film announcement: 'The Waterboard'

Many of you have heard about this already, but for those who haven't it's time for an official announcement. My next film will be a character-driven horror short titled 'The Waterboard' to be shot this fall. It'll be my 4th film. This project leads to a feature film to be produced sometime in the fall of 2009. Running time will be approximately 8 minutes long.

'The Waterboard' deals with the disturbing real-life CIA-sanctioned torture technique used in the ongoing Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. The torture technique actually dates many hundreds of years, but it has only gained recent crucial notoriety as a result of the shadowy moral implications of it being used by the CIA to extract information from suspected terrorist subjects. Despite this background, the film isn't really politically-driven but it's instead character-driven. It introduces a character that I've been obsessed with for over 10 years and the film asks questions about man's capacity for evil thru torture, no matter how warranted torture might seen in a particular scenario (see 'the ticking time bomb scenario').

I won't give any details of the film's plot, but I will say that this film isn't 'torture-porn'. I don't give a rat's ass about 'torture porn' ('Saw','Hostel' and the like), and I'm aiming for something different here.The trend of 'torture porn' has arguably come to an end. I march at the beat of my own drummer here, and I believe this film and it's feature length companion piece have something to say. These are films about the problem of evil, about man's capacity for it, and how it feels to truly confront evil in the real world.

I held a meeting at my place back in June 1st to start forming a productorial team with some colleagues for these endeavors.Mark Colegrove (the upcoming 'Isle Of The Damned'), Angie Ennis (from the past CoLab filmmaker's collective), David Kratz (maker of the comedy short 'Nintendik', shown at MFF this past May), and local neophyte filmmaker Rick Smith were there.Shane Logue, local Baltimore actor and director of 'Hachigame', couldn't attend, but he hopes to be onboard for these efforts also. The meet went very well, and it looks like I have a solid foundation to make some films worth a damn. Not just these two films, but more.

But I don't want to get too far ahead of myself here. For now, I need to start 'kicking my own ass'. 'The Waterboard' doesn't shoot until the fall, but there's much prep-work to be done for it. I start on this work immediately, There will be a casting call at the Creative Alliance in early August (Sat, August 9th) for starters. 'Kicking my own ass' also applies to other areas of my life.Lately, I've come to realize how my personal demons are delaying my development as a filmmaker, and as a man in general. Willpower and self-discipline will be my focus this summer. I've got some serious films with a vision to make. It's about now or never.

So, what's going on?

It's been a few weeks since my last blog entry. My blog has been looking at me with big puppy eyes asking: 'So, what's going on?'

Well, I just signed the lease on a new apartment, and will be moving into it by the end of the summer. For the first time, I'll be living in Baltimore City. Charles Village to be specific.The space is small. It's just a room with a bathroom attached, but it's cheap. The space will allow me to work only part-time while I complete my degree at UMBC. The place is also within walking distance to some of my favorite city hangouts, like Video Americain and The Charles theater. I'll also be able to drive less and save gas by taking the bus to work and school.

My new lease is just for 8 months, so as soon as I get back to full-time employment I'll be looking for a bigger place early next year. Also, living at this space is a good rehearsal if I do decide to move to NYC next year.So, city living, here I come! Hurray for cramped apartment living!

Now that my search for a new place has been clinched, I can concentrate full time into the script for my short. I also will be giving Horror-101.com much love. There's that Spanish CLEP exam I need to take soon. And, there are also three pesky short video projects I really need to complete.

I've been fighting my 'lazy' and 'writer's block' demons lately, and I better kick their asses and get back into the full swing of things. Even though I'm not taking a summer class, my summer is going to be just as busy as my past spring was, and it's critical that I stay on the ball.

Does that satisfy you, my cute little blog? 'Yes', the blog says, its big puppy eyes undilating back to normal.

Stonehenge/Date Number One

Last Sunday, May 18th, I attended the first ever Baltimore Stonehenge mass casting call at the Creative Alliance Patterson theater. Stonehenge is a DC-based event which brings hundreds of actors auditioning before area filmmakers and getting people paired up with projects. Over 120 actors auditioned, and I'm glad to report that, despite the rainy weather, the event was a success. I saw plenty of potential talent at this first 'Charmhenge' that I hope to call upon for future film projects. There was a wide scope of actors there, from cute, lively child actors to charming, attractive actresses; and from interesting mature character actors to multi-ethnic leading men. I can even name some of talent that shone at the event--actors with names like Giselle Gilpin, Rob Patterson, and Kami Locklear. I'm glad to report that there were no 'stage disasters' at this Stonehenge in comparison to the DC March Stonehenge (where a couple of actors just bolted from the stage), and I was glad to see that the Baltimore acting pool held its own.

*****

Last night, I drove down to Silver Spring, MD, for a screening of DC filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake's 'Date Number One'. The event took place at Jackie's (8081 Georgia Ave), just a few blocks from the AFI Silver Spring theater. Sujewa is working with Jackie's management to program a series of local shorts and features all thru this summer (the next screening looks to be on June 26th).'Date Number One' is a charming, DIY feature romantic-comedy presenting a refreshing, positive outlook on the trials of contemporary dating.A multi-ethnic cast, among them a seductive Indian man, a french-speaking hottie, a curvy blonde seeking a blissful three-way bi-sexual relationship, a Buddhist African-American woman, and a lonely career Ninja seek love in the modern city. The episodic film, completed through a long period by Ekanayake, exhibits a vibrant 'can do' attitude that's spreading along the world of independent cinema today. 'Date Number One' will have a one week run at Jackie's this summer, in case you missed it and want to go and check it out.

*****

Memorial Day weekend is here again. This time I opted to make it a working weekend, instead of going out of town for a vacation. At least, I'll be saving on those exhorbitant gas prices. I got projects to write, and an apartment to thoroughly clean in preparation for a big film production meeting next weekend. I will definetely make some time for 'Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull', as well as heading down to DC for some salsa dancing on Saturday night. This Puertorro needs a little play!

LIGHTSTRUCK!

I think I'm paying a bit of a price for having many drinks after the great LIGHTSTRUCK UMBC student film festival screening last night. My friend, filmmaker Shane Logue, his lovely friends, and me ended up closing up the Ottobar, then the party carried over all over locations in Charles Village.

LIGHTSTRUCK this year was really a great event and I was impressed with the work of fellow UMBC film students. In fact, I dare say this was the strongest showing of student films I've seen from any film school here in MD. Shane Logue, who's still completing his feature length debut 'Hachigame', screened his very well-made short, 'Cain And Able', a b+w silent-film-styled tale of an illusionist trying to win the love of his assistant. He won an award for the piece which he actually shot on film! Other filmmakers made equally striking efforts, such as Daphne Gardner, whose short 'Hunting Boy' had one of the greatest, freshes voices I've seen from a young filmmaker. Many filmmakers don't have a 'voice', a palpable signature and feeling that emanates from the screen, but this girl has it. Jordan Eberlein and his partner Dominic Garcia also made their marks with films such as 'Negocium', a gorgeously-shot b+w short about a lawyer feeling drawn to his assistant, and 'Over Black', an elliptical, metaphysical tale of two men whose lives collide in the realm of dreams. James Smyth also made tracks with a lyrical, experimental time-lapse piece called 'Blue Rocket'.

And to start it off, the event kicked off with a fascinating live-animation presentation from Eric Dyer and his class of animation students. Dyer has gotten wide acclaim from festivals such as Sundance, which featured his experimental animation a couple of years ago. He and his team had a setup with large turntables which spun different zoetropes, as other team members filmed closeups of those spinning zoetropes. Then, another member edited the shots on the fly, while yet another participant performed a live musical score. I've not seen anything this adventurous done with film in a long time! They did the same presentation at a Brooklyn art museum very recently, and if they do it again elsewhere I reccommend you go.

The packed screening made me proud of being again a part of UMBC, and I can't wait to make my short and get that degree in the fall.

*****

Done! I can say I'm done with my spring Biology Class. I suspected I wasn't going to ace that class without making a considerable effort and overcoming some last minute obstacle. And sure enough, I got thrown an Indiana-Jones-sized boulder my way (Doesn't the new movie look fantastic? I can't wait!), when my car got towed with just three to spare before my final exam on Monday. I would say 'Unbelievable', but in this city I pretty much expect shit like that to happen regularly. I managed to scramble, run across town, track down where my car was, take a taxi, and--thanks to the angel who was behind the taxi wheel--was able to get my car out of the impound lot in time to turn my final notebook and take the final exam. I think I'm going to do very well on the class to.

This confirms my belief that you must have confidence in Life. If you don't let it break you down, if you cultivate your spirit and optimism, it brings great things your way.

Horror-101.com booms

This past weekend I found a bit of news that has me smiling wide: Horror-101.com, the website I launched in September 2006 and that I run with my business partner Alex Divincenzo, has experience a substantial boom. We're now routinely getting over 30,000 hits per month, already over 110,000 on this year so far, and could very well end the year with a quarter of a million hits. Woot! This has given me an extra oomph and I will be working hard to continue to grow the site in the months ahead.

Horror-101.com concentrates just on the critical aspect of horror cinema. When I started the site, I knew it was a very concept, but we're finding out that there's an audience out there of dedicated horror cinephiles that do care a lot about the quality of their fright films. For them, I do the site. Although we're a long ways of from catching up with leading sites such as Bloody-Disgusting.com, Fangoria.com, CHUD, or Dread Central(we think of these sites as brothers instead of competitors, really), i believe we're slowly gaining in stature in the horror genre community and I hope this growth continues.

Most people may have me tagged as just a horror filmmaker, but in reality I care about all filmmaking in general. In the future, I intend to make a wide range of films, not just horror. But I have a certain fondness for the genre because that's how I started my lifelong love affair with cinema--thru my excitement for scary flicks when I was a teenager. I hope to communicate this fondness to a new generation thru Horror-101. We intend to be a beacon for the fans and a resource for a new generation of horror filmmakers, even as we intend to become a repository for the critical mass of the best the genre has offered.

Horror-101 should continue to grow in the near future. More reviews, more news, more opinion pieces will be forthcoming. We're still struggling with finding writers dedicated to the genre, but this comes from one of the big lessons we learned in our first year--you can expect to keep writers ,no matter how much they may love the genre, to write for free. For this reason, we will begin to explore ways to make the site commercially viable this fall(without compromising our critical approach to horror films. we don't take studio screeners nor are our reviews 'for sale' thru advertising).

So, if you're a horror fan, come pay us a visit. I'm encouraged to see that a little seed of vision I had a couple of years ago is blossoming and gaining hold. It tells me I need to continue to work toward my goals, more specifically making the short film this fall and the feature that will follow after that.

*****

I slaved over the final Biology notebook all this past weekend. The final exam is tonight. I can't wait to be done with this class. And looks like I'll be reaching that finish line with a good grade later tonight. One race ends, and another one begins--I intend to focus on my short film and Horror-101 all thru the summer. And, oh yeah, I got to find another place to live by mid-August too.

MD Film Fest '08 Wrap-Up

The 10th annual Maryland Film Festival took place this past weekend, and, boy, did I have a good time. I had such a great time that I needed a day to recover. I didn't per se get into a lot of screenings this year, but there was so much going on between screenings, workshops, networking and partying at the tent village that I got a full experience. I even went to the Closing Night party, drank, talk to many friends, danced a bit, and managed to get back home at an indecent time.

Here's what I saw at the festival:

--'Medicine For Melancholy'--I hear about this indie film from DC filmmaker/blogger Sujewa Ekanayake, and also from Indiewire.com's SXSW festival coverage. San Francisco filmmaker Barry Jenkins made this touching, sensual, and polemical film about an african-american couple hooking up, disconnecting and re-connecting again during a long Sunday day. The film looked great with a de-saturated color palette to the point it was almost black-n-white. Also, the piece gives you a lot to think about with its characters' discussions on race, cultural identity, indie culture, and gentrification of San Francisco. It sounded great with a soundtrack composed of original music as well as select indie rock tracks.

--'Waiting For Hockney'--I think this was my favorite screening of the entire weekend. A made-in-Baltimore docu, 'Hockney' traced the wondrous journey of artist Billy Pappas, a MICA (Maryland Institute and College of Art) graduate, who spent 8 years obsessively creating a pointillistic portrait of Marilyn Monroe. All that time, he's completely supported by his family, and even bank-rolled by a local architect (to the cost of $300,000.00!). Once he's done, he and his support team become convinced that the only way to properly bring this work of art into the world-at-large is by showing it exclusively to post-modernist artist David Hockney. The rest of the documentary traces their stranger-than-fiction quest to gain an audience with the re-known artist. Not only is the subject matter of this piece highly enthralling, but it was also the work of a first-time documentarian named Julie Checkoway.

I had to miss the subsequent screening of a film called 'Chop Shop', because Pappas was in attendance, along with his masterful drawing. There was a very long line waiting to view his work. I waited on it, and it was worth it. The drawing was magnificent; so realistic, you could almost touch Marilyn's face. To truly admire its detail, you need to pour over the work with a magnifying glass. I spoke to Pappas for a minute, and he was a very charming, intelligent man. I wish him the best in finding his great work a suitable home. This docu was so great that they should truly consider creating a fictionalized script from the story and get a good film made from it. Believe me, it would be a hit.

--'Spine-Tingler'. This was a documentary by Jeffrey Schwarz on the well-known horror producer William Castle, who produced such gimmicky (yet very succesful) films in the 60s such as 'The Tingler' and 'Homicidal'. This film was a labor of love that took several years to complete. Fans of horror, as well as classic Hollywood film fans, will find this film of high interest when it hits DVD later this year. I also watched Castle's 'Straight-Jacket' at the Saturday night free outdoor screening, truly a great piece of Camp cinema starring Joan Crawford at the outset of her career.

--'Bi The Way'. Yet another compelling documentary, this time about bi-sexuality. The filmmakers travelled back and forth on the United States to capture stories of both female and male bi-sexuals, and in the process they give the most honest look that this sexual orientation has ever gotten. The film wasn't so much racy nor graphic, but it was just honest, specially with interviews with many bi-sexuals, sex-researchers, college professors, and the like. The piece also had a focus on the openly accepting way in which the 'Whatever' generation (age 16 to 30) deals with bi-sexuality. Perhaps the best story in the whole film is that of 11-year Josh, son of filmmaker Jonathan Caouette (sp?, director/subject of 'Tarnation'), a precocious child who has started asking serious questions about his possible future sexuality at his young age. His comments were sincerely funny and disarming.

--'At The Death House Door'. This sobering docu comes from the same team (Steve James and Peter Gilbert) who brought us 'Hoops Dreams', perhaps the best documentary of the 1990s. Reverend Carroll Pickett counseled 95 different prisoners on their way to the lethal-injection chamber in Hunstville, TX between 1983 and 1995. During those grievous years of service, Pickett kept tapes of his experiences of each individual execution. His emotional and deeply spiritual journey from a pro-Capital punishment supporter to an anti-Death Penalty advocate is the subject of this very well made documentary. The film also details the heartbreaking case of Carlos De Luna, an innocent man who was wrongly convicted and executed in 1989. The piece will be shown on the Independent Film Channel later this month, and the filmmakers have made it available for advocate screenings across the country. It will surely be available on DVD sometime later this year. I suggest you watch it. It'll touch you very deeply.

And that's what I managed to enjoy at this year's fest. I truly wish I could have seen more. For example, I tried to get into the Comedy Shorts screening on Friday afternoon to catch my buddy Dave Kratz's short 'Nintendik' (which you can see on Youtube.com. Just do a search for the film title), but the screening was sold out. There was truly so much good stuff at this film festival that three individuals could have caught 10 different screenings a piece through the weekend and still have had a great time. Congratulations to Jed Dietz, Skizz Cyzzick and Eric Allen Hatch on a very well programmed festival.

I still think they need some midnight screenings on Saturday night, as well as a bit more genre work, but it was a fine festival nonetheless.

Lastly, the CAMM (Creative Alliance MovieMakers) Kegger on Saturday afternoon was a blast. I caught up with some many fiends, and we all made a toast to CAMM's continued success as the best resource for Baltimore filmmakers. Kristen Anchor, Scott Kecken, Lee Boot, Margaret Footner, Jed, and Megan have worked very hard to bring CAMM from its humble auspices at a Pep Boys storefront in Highlandtown to the gorgeous arts/film center that currently stands on the old site of the Patterson theatre. I'm very proud to be associated with these people and wish them continued success.

Maryland Film Festival '08 Picks

I've found a few minutes to check over the Maryland Film Festival '08 schedule, and I think I've spotted some special films to catch this weekend. The festival gets started tonight with a premiere screening of shorts at MICA Brown Center at 8pm. I won't go into the dates and times when the specific films will be screened; for that you may check the schedule at Maryland Film Festival website. The good news is that this year's festival is chockfull of fascinating choices, everything from socially-focused documentaries to etchnically-driven films. In fact, there are some many interesting films this year that I had to stop jotting down potential films to see once I got to 19! I can only catch 9 to 10 screenings at the fest each year, because I do like to eat and sleep during the weekend. This what stands out for me:

--'Black List', a docu in which many sucessful black men from all walks of life are interviewed. Their opinions and stories are apparently very revealing and thought-provoking

--'The Listening Project', a docu about, well, listening. But, more specifically it's about the lost ability of people to actually listen to one another's opinions. In the film, several interviewers ask questions of foreigners about what they think of the US. The film is an exercise on how crucial listening is to the process of communication.

--'At The Death House Door', another docu. This one is from the team behind the hit basketball docu 'Hoop Dreams'. 'Death House' deals with the real life story of a penitentiary chaplain who listened to hundreds of men on death row. He started believing on the death penalty after suffering a family tragedy, but his experiences counseling the prisoners turned him around, and now he believes that some innocent men have been put to death.

--'Medicine For Melancholy', an indie feature about a young black couple attempting to reconnect in San Francisco after an ill-advised one-night stand. The film also explores issue of racial identity in a nation that's becoming increasingly homogenized.

--'Out Late', a docu. This one is about gay and lesbian people who have waited until well into their senior years to come out to friends and family. 'Bi The Way' is yet another docu about the current 'whatever' generation and its attitude/exploration of gay, lesbian and bi lifestyles.

--'Row Hard. No Excuses' documents two middle-aged men attempt to win an extremely ardous annual rowing competition which people participate in for no particular reason other than the experience and the challenge (there are no prizes). Sounds like a inspired look at the the triumph of the human spirit.

--'Paper Covers Rock', an indie feature about a young mother's attempt to reconstruct her life after a failed suicide attempt. What makes particular interesting is how the filmmaker approached the project only for its artistic aspects irregardless of commercial considerations. His film is apparently the first one in a series.

--'Bamako', an African feature. It's being presented as an under-regarded Critic's Pick. The film is being lauded for its colorful and inspired look at African life.

--'Waiting For Hockney' is a docu which traces the journey of a local Maryland Institute College Of Art (MICA) graduate who becomes obsessed with creating a perfect large-scale engraving of Marilyn Monroe. He sacrificed much to the endeavor and it took him 8 years to complete the piece. The film deals with the issue of artistic obsession (something I know a little about).

--'Chop Shop' is an indie debut feature that's lauded by Robert Ebert as the American version of 'City Of God'. The film concerns a young empoverished boy's attempts in Queens, NY, to grow and capture the American Dream. It's getting a lot of buzz, so I think I'm gonna be there for its screening.

--'White Lies, Black Sheep' is an indie feature which details the journey of a black man who feels more attracted to white rock music culture and who turns his back on his afrocentric family and culture. This film, like 'Medicine For Melancholy', deals with issues of shifting cultural identity in the United States.

And those are just the beginning. There seems to be so much other great stuff. Like 'American Teen' (a hit at Sundance), 'Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story' (if you're a horror fan, you know who he was), 'Intimidad' (an indie feature about a young Mexican family trying to make ends meet at the border), 'Low And Behold' (an indie drama set against the backdrop of Katrina-ravaged New Orleans),'Baghead' (a comedy from the acclaimed directors of 'The Puffy Chair'), 'We Are Wizards' (which takes a look at the strong sub-culture of Harry Potter geeks) and many others.

There seems to be a lack of genre pics on the schedule this year, which is a shame. Some horror, fantasy or sci-fi should have been represented. Lastly, there's a strong representation of 'mumblecore' films this year (which I won't list). I'm not gonna mince words--I hate 'mumblecore' films. Watching films about white hipsters and their meandering unpleasant lives and dragged-out breakups isn't my cup of tea. And before anyone goes 'Oh, my, that's racist!', I'm sorry, but that's what they are--boring films by self-absorbed white hipsters. Sincerely--Skip them and watch the plethora of other good, multi-faceted films in display at this weekend's fest.

Pausing A Moment To Reflect

Haven't had any time to blog recently. The end of the school semester is always a very busy time, and the Biology class is really turning the screws on me. I've a term paper, an activity notebook, and two exams in the next two weeks. This class really feels like two classes. But as long as I cut unnecessary activities, I will be able to pass it. Come May 16 I'm going to be in the mood to do some serious partying.

One thing I can't cut out is this weekend's Maryland Film Festival, which will take place at The Charles theater. I should be there on and off through the weekend, but specially on Saturday. Don't ask me yet what I'll be watching. I've only had a few minutes to take a cursory glance at the schedule and I won't be making picks until sometime late Wednesday. If I have some time, I'll post my picks. Also, Creative Alliance will have a tent across from The Charles and I'll be there Saturday from 5:30pm thru 7pm meeting and greeting folks. Come by and say Hi if you have a minute.

Sometime this weekend, I also gotta go and catch 'Iron Man'. It's looking really good. I'm looking forward to it, and also 'Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull'. It's going to be a great summer for popcorn movies.

I'm really acheing for some free time. I'm itching to get back to work on my short film. I also have that music video to complete, and a couple of key reviews for Horror-101 to do. But the class is key. I didn't go back to college to be a slouch and 'just barely pass classes' as some students do. I'm trying to get a high B or an A here. Plus, I'm actually interested in the genetics stuff, and I've an idea for a future film that this class has helped me to develop.

Regardless of how busy I sound, I've been doing great lately. Most of the key steps I've needed to take to graduate from UMBC this Fall have fallen into place. I'm enrolled in the appropriate classes, and my financial aid has come thru. I also had a particular personal experience which put a huge smile on my face last week... but I can't share that here. That one will go in my 'memoirs'. I don't 'kiss and tell'.

Oright, I gotta get going. Time to make the donuts! And, oh, if you're looking for a good horror flick to watch, check out 'The Ruins', a really underrated flick which most people should have gone and seen instead of that 'Prom Night' junk. It has several great cringe-inducing moments, and at its very core, the movie deals with the fascinating concept of carnivorous plants. Great scary flick.

Shift Happens

They worked me hard this past week. I've not had the time to blog in over a week. I got assigned a dayjob work detail that's challenging, but involves dealing with a lot of paperwork. At school, I've my second major Biology exam tomorrow night, and the Lab notebook is due on Wednesday, so I've not had any downtime and have had to pass on some invites to get-togethers and screenings.

I missed the DC Cherry Blossom festival this year. A shame. Every spring for the last few years, I loved to walk among the cherry trees and take pictures. I had to shoot a music video last Saturday, and the Sunday after the weather was so cruddy it was best to stay home and study.

I'm editing that music video this week on my newly-purchased copy of Final Cut Pro. It should be fun taking the time to fully learn the program (more or less the reason why I shot the music vid), as FCP is slowly becoming the industry standard and is widespread among the independent film community. This week I should also have time to get back to my short film and feature length scripts. They're both swirling--almost fully formed--in my head. I need to find the time to write.

*****

I leave you for now with this Youtube video. It's called 'Shift Happens', and is a fairly popular video posted a little over a year ago. Perhaps you've seen it. It's on the subject of Globalization, and how the exponential growth of technology has changed the way we community, the way we learn, and the way future generations of students should be educated. It's also, in a sense, about evolution. The video was a presentation made by a teacher named Karl Fisch.

For those of you without the ability to look at Youtube (it's becoming regularly blocked from at-work computer networks due to how much bandwidth the website consumes), there's a transcript of the presentation below.

Nothing ever stays the same. The only constant in life is change. The longer you life the more you learn to cope to how unpredictable change is. You can't completely control where your life is heading, and the best you can do is learn to enjoy the ride. Shift Happens.



The transcript:

9. Did you know . . .
10. Sometimes size does matter.
11. If you're one in a million in China . . .
12. There are 1,300 people just like you.
13. In India, there are 1,100 people just like you.
14. The 25% of the population in China with the highest IQ's . . .
15. Is greater than the total population of North America.
16. In India, it's the top 28%.
17. Translation for teachers: They have more honors kids than we have kids.
18. Did you know . . .
19. China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world.
20. If you took every single job in the U.S. today and shipped it to China . . .
21. China would still have a labor surplus.
22. During the course of this 8 minute presentation . . .
23. 60 babies will be born in the U.S.
244 babies will be born in China.
351 babies will be born in India.
24. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today's learner will have 10-14 jobs . . .
25. By the age of 38.
26. According to the U.S. Department of Labor . . .
27. 1 out of 4 workers today is working for a company they have been employed by for less than one year.
28. More than 1 out of 2 are working for a company they have worked for for less than five years.
29. According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley . . .
30. The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn't exist in 2004.
31. We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist . . .
32. Using technologies that haven't been invented . . .
33. In order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet.
34. Name this country . . .
35. Richest in the World
Largest Military
Center of world business and finance
Strongest education system
World center of innovation and invention
Currency the world standard of value
Highest standard of living
36. England.
37. In 1900.
38. Did you know . . .
39. The U.S. is 20th in the world in broadband Internet penetration.
(Luxembourg just passed us.)
40. In 2002 alone Nintendo invested more than $140 million in research and development.
41. The U.S. Federal Government spent less than half as much on Research and Innovation in Education.
42. 1 out of every 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met online.
43. There are over 100 million registered users of MySpace.(August 2006)
*Scott updated to 106 million for September 2006 and added this slide:
If MySpace were a country, it would be the 11th-largest in the world (between Japan and Mexico)*
44. The average MySpace page is visited 30 times a day.
45. Did you know . . .
46. We are living in exponential times.
47. There are over 2.7 billion searches performed on Google each month.
48. To whom were these questions addressed B.G.?
(Before Google)
49. The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the population of the planet.
50. There are about 540,000 words in the English language . . .
51. About 5 times as many as during Shakespeare's time.
52. More than 3,000 new books are published . . .
53. Daily.
54. It's estimated that a week's worth of New York Times . . .
55. Contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century.
56. It's estimated that 40 exabytes (that's 4.0 x 1019) of unique new information will be generated worldwide this year.
57. That's estimated to be more than in the previous 5,000 years.
58. The amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years.
59. It's predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010.
60. Third generation fiber optics has recently been separately tested by NEC and Alcatel . . .
61. That pushes 10 trillion bits per second down one strand of fiber.
62. That's 1,900 CDs or 150 million simultaneous phone calls every second.
63. It's currently tripling about every 6 months and is expected to do so for at least the next 20 years.
64. The fiber is already there, they're just improving the switches on the ends. Which means the marginal cost of these improvements is effectively $0.
65. Predictions are that e-paper will be cheaper than real paper.
66. 47 million laptops were shipped worldwide last year.
67. The $100 laptop project is expecting to ship between 50 and 100 million laptops a year to children in underdeveloped countries.
68. Predictions are that by 2013 a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computation capability of the Human Brain . . .
69. By 2023, a $1,000 computer will exceed the computation capability of the Human Brain . . .
70. First grader Abby will be just 23 years old and beginning her (first) career . . .
71. And while technical predictions further out than about 15 years are hard to do . . .
72. Predictions are that by 2049 a $1,000 computer will exceed the computational capabilities of the human race.
73. What does it all mean?
74. Shift Happens.
75. Now you know . . .

(Sources for the presentation are linked here)

Shine A Light

I caught the new Martin Scorsese-directed Rolling Stones concert film at a preview screening this past Tuesday night.

Impressions: I wasn't dissapointed. 'Shine A Light' is Martin Scorsese's love letter to The Rolling Stones. A fantastic concert film which intertwines a potent performance by The Stones at The Beacon theater in NYC with documentary footage of the planning of the event as well as archival footage from many stages of the band's career. The show itself is the thing, with Mick, Keith, Ronny, and Charlie demonstrating that rockNroll is the fountain of youth. Mick sings, hops and dances across the stage so sprightly you'll be wondering how can he keep so fit at his age. Keith, despite his leathery facade, comes across as the consumate musician that he is. Ronnie plays the slide guitar beautifully, and Charlie anchors the band with his quiet demeanor and great performance stamina.

Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera join the Stones on some numbers, and they're all very good. It inspires me on to see people doing what they truly love to do, and The Stones 'started me up' with their energetic performance. Martin finishes up the film with a glorious shot which had people at The Senator theater here in Baltimore clapping.

Bottom line: Highly Recommended. If you wait for DVD to see it, make sure you have a great sound system to enjoy this beauty of a concert film.

*****

And a big thumbs-down to whoever came up with the excretrable idea to have a 'Guitar Hero III' showdown at The Senator before rolling the film. Hearing people mangle The Stones' 'Paint It Black' before the screening wasn't the best way to ramp up the event. Many people were visibly annoyed, and there were loud boos and noos by the time they got to the 5th attempt. I'm a gamer and can tell you that Guitar Hero is best enjoyed in the confines of your own house party, not at a major preview screening. Thank you, The Bay 100.7 for such a craptastic idea! I'll make sure not to listen to your station.

Take 5 with Creative Alliance

The Creative Alliance Moviemakers film collective has started a nifty blog spotlighting interviews with Baltimore-area filmmakers. They recently posted a short interview with me which you may check out here:

Take 5 with Creative Alliance

Remember, the CAMM cage has some great film equipment for rent: HD cameras, lights, sound equipment, and even Mac editing suites. They’re an essential resource for Baltimore area filmmakers. So check them out and apply for membership. You can even reserve equipment at their blog linked above; quite a neato tool.

*****

This week is catchup week for me. Last week was my Spring Break, but I hardly enjoyed the break (I still had to work my dayjob during the day). I also kinda spent the week in a funk and putting too much energy in empty pursuits. So now this week I’ve a lot of stuff to do. I’ve to do my taxes, apply for school financial aid, and do a lot of studying. All that, and I should be writing my new short film.

Last weekend I did manage to head down to DC, where I sat at Stonehenge 6 all day Saturday. Stonehenge is a mass casting call where 100 or so local area actors audition before 30 or so teams of filmmakers and theater companies. I saw some good actresses and character actors there, but there was a lack of leading men at the event. In any case, the first Baltimore Stonehenge will take place in May 18th and I’ll be attending that one also. I’m embarking on a long search for three very special actors.

Talk later.. Much work to do.

Monstermania

It's taken me a few days to recover from the great time we had at Monstermania 2008 in Cherry Hill,NJ, this past weekend. This was our first time attending and we were impressed. The con is actually held twice a year on March and August. Horror-101 was represented along with a contingency of Baltimore indie filmmakers. Here are some snapshots from the time we had.

The con was heavily attended, and there were many celebrities there. Among them, Bruce Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, Jason Mewes, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Brian O'Halloran, Heather Langenkamp, and many others. You'll have to excuse the lack of celebrity pics, as we concentrated more in spreading the word on the site, making friends and meeting fans.


Armando, Mark Colegrove (director, 'Isle Of The Damned'), and Paul Joyce (composer,'Isle..')


Chris Lamartina (director,'Dead Teenagers'),Armando, and FX Artist Ian Potter


View of the crowded vendor's room on Saturday. Left of our table.


Same vendor's room. View of right of our table.


A fellow big Transformers fan showed me his tattoo of Unicron. I'm a TF geek. He had Optimus on his other arm.


Christie, a great girl from Boston, showed us her striking laced body art.


Button-vest Woman showed us her extensive button collection.


Over 300 people waited in line around the hotel to meet Bruce Campbell. Oddly, I didn't seen him once during the weekend. They stashed him away when he wasn't 'on display'. I had met him before at Horrorfind two years ago.


Zombie Wolverine and Spider-Man!


All of a sudden, Paul grew a horrific head out of his shoulder!


And then this kid ripped it off and started playing with it! I think we converted this loveable kid into a future FX artist.


We make some new friends. Armando meets Boston filmmaker Alexia Anastasio, editor of 'Vampyra:The Movie' and director of 'Salome'


Armando live-blogging from the hotel room. Notice the alcohol--typical writer!


It's Saturday night. Let the partying commence! Sink full o' cheap beer and Jaggermeister.


Look who I ran into at the crowded hotel bar--Brian O'Halloran (Dante) from 'Clerks' and 'Clerks 2'


There were many celebrities there, but the one I wanted to meet was Sid Haig ('House Of 1,000 Corpses','The Devil's Rejects') He was down-to-earth awesome!

And so it went at Monstermania Spring 2008. Much thanks to Mark Colegrove, who took some of these pics. A great time was definetely had, and I think we'll definitely be back there next year!

The Good, The Bad And The Queen. Pt 2

Just came back from having a great time at the Monstermania horror con in Cherry Hill,NJ. I’ll tell you about those exploits on my next blog. I gotta head to bed shortly as I’ve an early call for a video production gig in Wash, DC.

*****

The art of the music video is dead these days. With the decay of MTV into teenybopper reality-TV trash and the constant bombastic depictions of rap artists flaunting their bling-bling along with a gaggle of dancing hoochies, an inspired, greatly-conceived music video is a rarity these days. I leave you then with this clip called ’The Good, The Bad And The Queen’ (Damon Albarn’s side-project), a rousing, gorgeous song married to a set of exotic Sufi-dancing images with the result being one of the most amazing videos I’ve seen in a long while.Directed by one Stephen Pook. Enjoy...