I'm very frustrated today. I had a weekend that started awesome, then quickly derailed as I tried to make some progress in one of my film projects.
I've decided to finish my third short film, 'Pretentious Pooch'. In order to do so, I finally have to get the rights to a song by an awesome indie band called The Foundry Field Recordings. I approached them close to a year ago about using the music before I made the film, but I've not been able to contact them again about officially getting the rights.
Last night, the band played at a DC bar, and I had planned to go there with a copy of my films on DVD for them. Except making the actual DVD proved to be a damn nightmare. I spent a combined 14 hours thru the weekend, including an 8 hour stint yesterday Sunday, to get that damn DVD made. And the DVD simply didn't turn out!
I consider myself pretty adept with computers and technology, and I really hate it when technology kicks my ass. And yesterday, it kicked my ass. To make a long, technical story short, I couldn't get a working DVD after burning several failed copies and working with two different computers! I've made plenty of custom DVDs in the past, but last night was a complete headscratcher. Finally, defeated and exhausted--and without a viable DVD for me to give to the band--I opted not to go the show.
This means I may have lost my chance to get the rights for that piece of music. My next opportunity to approach them will be in a couple of months, once I straighten out whatever went wrong with my computers last night, and can put together a proper proposal package out on the mail to them. It might be too little, too late...over one full year after I initially approached them.
So I'm here at my day job, trying to work thru my frustration. I gotta finish 'Pooch' before I move on to future projects. I want to re-invent XterminatingAngel.com before the year's thru and put all my previous work there, before I start working in earnest on the next project. Everything seems to be taking so long, too long. My crappy day job with SSA is to blame, but I just can't quit it--I'll definetely won't be able to make anymore films if I'm broke.
Breathe in. Breathe out.I'll figure this out somehow.
At least, I had a great Friday night. I headed out to Federal Hill for a couple of drinks. Had a great time. Saw lots of hot, single ladies.
Some thoughts on some flicks I've watched recently:
I watched 'Sunshine', the latest from director Danny Boyle, at an advance screening last Wednesday. The film has some striking sci-fi images, and it concerns a multi-national expedition to re-ignite the sun (which finds itself dying out about 50 years in the future). In general, I had this movie pegged as one of the best movies of the years until 20 minutes before its end, when a ridiculous plot twist takes a great movie and just kicks it straight into B-movie territory. A damn shame--most of the movie is intelligent and brilliant, and I'm still reccomending it for folks to check it out.
I saw 'Transformers' for the second time last Thursday night, and I still enjoyed it. I'm a big 'Transformers' fan--since childhood--and I was expecting all sorts of terrible things from this movie once I heard Michael Bay was directing it. Well, well, I was wrong. This has got to be the only good movie Bay has made! The movie gets things mostly right--It's entertaining, rousing, funny, and dazzling. I still got some minor quibbles.. but this Transformers Geek is very pleased with the movie, and I've now gotten a bit of respect for Michael Bay (who would've thunk it! 'cause 'Pearl Harbor' sucked big, huge balls). Can't wait for the sequel in a couple of years!
Let me get back to work. I need to put last night's dissapointment behind me and focus on Horror-101's upcoming appearance at Baltimore Horrorfind two weeks from now. We're making flyers for it, will be there with a contest, the works!
NYC pics are still coming. Haven't forgotten. They will be posted if it's the last thing I ever do. (well, other than finishing 'Pretentious Pooch'!)
