ONGOING ÆFFORTS
8.18.08
Umm...at least I didn't go the FULL year!
Not really sure where to start. A lot's happened. Lifetimes of trials, tribulations--victories beyond compare, men on stilts and women wearing hats that astound and amaze. A veritable cornucopia of lunacy and sobering introspection alike! To recap:
Floored was optioned by Whitebread Productions and is currently in a holding pattern at Sony until the Screen Actor's Guild make a determination as to whether or not they're going on strike. Needless to say, we'd like it very much if they'd take some sort of decisive action instead of waiting it out until the new board elections arrive--or hell goes cold. Actors have been working without SAG contracts since June. I'd like to take a survey to see how many have died, been crippled or emotionally scarred because of it. I myself know of several SAG actors to whom it makes no difference. Why? Because they're just happy to work when they can get work--it's hard enough to land a SAG job anywhere but LA/NY, and those in LA/NY that AREN'T making 7 figures a year are really unconcerned as to whether they make more residuals if their stuff goes online. Actors want to act. Period.
Automatic Transition is finally in the edit stage, as I've finally learned to edit. I purchased a MacBook Pro from Torrey Loomis at Silverado Systems and am digging into Final Cut Pro like everyone else in the world. With it, I was able to edit my first projects, Redefining Integrity Never Goes Sour and Rememb'ring Reese, both 10x10 Filmmaker's Challenge projects for this year's Sacramento Film and Music Festival. Congratulations to Ryan Todd, Matt Baker and Aaron Lane for their wins as well.
Rememb'ring Reese won the award for Best Concept/Theme. I'll be submitting that to Extreme Filmmaker's 48 Hour Film Project in L.A. (which is where Mercy ended up last year.)
Speaking of which, Ryan Todd, Erik Espera and I flew down and were put up in an Extended Stay America 45 minutes away from the venue in Burbank. The Arclight is in Hollywood. Our room also had one bed. Fortunately, Ryan chose to stay with a friend and ESA found a room with two beds. Unfortunately, there was a family in there when we arrived at 2:30 in the morning. Fortunately, they placed us in another room. Unfortunately, it was also occupied. Fortunately, the attendant found another room for us. Unfortunately, that room was also occupied, and a gentleman wasn't too happy with strangers opening his door at what was then nearly 3 AM. Fortunately, we were a ways down the hall by the time he pulled some pants on and appeared to confront us. Fortune smiled on us yet again as the attendant, whom we later learned was a night attendant and really had no authority to give out rooms, gave Erik and I two single rooms to weather the remainder of the night in. Erik's had a broken lock. Mine contained the garbage from the previous residents. Life was good. When we inquired the next day about remedying the situation, the manager stated that he could find us two more singles, but there were no double rooms available. And he also revealed that our reservations had been made through Priceline.com--for a grand total of about $130 bucks, I noted on the screen. Nonetheless, we forged ahead to the venue, hooking up with Mike Begovich and some of Ryan's friends, where we found out no tickets had been reserved nor purchased for us--indeed, they didn't even know we were coming--and the event was sold out. We finally wrangled two handicapped seats and four cancellations at our expense. The festival was fun, however, so c'est la vie.
What else...oh, I starred in the title role of a feature back in May called The Bill Collector, directed by Peter Oakes and shot by Bret Allen, who also shot Rememb'ring Reese. The feature's rough cut is done and looks good--now comes finessing the edit. The role was a challenge in that I've never played someone completely irredeemable before. I feared art imitated life, but found that no, this guy truly was worse off than I, which I found somewhat reassuring.
I had the pleasure of working with John Jimenez and Zac Whitnack again as they shot another docu-comedy, Are We laughing Yet?, which screened on Wednesday at the film festival. Ron Randolph and Marty Noufer rocked the two lead roles, and it was received with laughter and applause like a good comedy should. That one will probly be online in short order as well.
Upcoming, there's a web series in development by Nick Fenske and Karyn Dahl, scripted by Rob Thomas that looks to be pretty darn good. Actor Matt Donaldson seems to be involved as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing the next phase.
I'm in the middle to two more scripts, 2/3 through one of them with Kevin Haskin and working through another on my own.
Still teaching and coaching. The family is doing very well--Jennifer's show was nominated for 9 Elly awards, the local equivalent to the Tonys. She's pretty pleased. The children are heading into 5th and 1st grades, respectively. And I've nothing to complain about, save for wanting more work. Anyone? Anyone? :)
8.22.07
I am the KING of regularity! People call me FIBER MAN for short!
Well, yeah, okay. I really need to do an update again. Except I can't just now. Why? Because I can't really move. I started training at the Ultimate Training Center today.
More later.
6.7.07
So this past weekend we shot a short called Automatic Transition, the first comedy I've written to direct and include myself in. Brian Rife, Sarah Poynter, Sarah Lewis and my two kids Caleb and Clarity (!!!) all contributed their time and talents on what I hope to be a pretty decent (read: madcap) SAG short. Kevin Haskin was my second set of eyes on the work I did, and Brian Hamm shot the piece. Eric Egan, Chris Jasper, Ron Randolph and Jeff McKee came out to help on what was an absolutely minimal crew. L&H Airco folks Frank Wegener amd Bill Carmody assisted in funding it--very, very appreciated!
If I went into details about the weekend and how we rigged the car, I might be retroactively fined. Let's just say when the rental agency offered me 'walk away
' insurance, meaning, No matter what happens to the car, you can walk away, I responded with"Absolutely."
Now I get to lose weight again!
4.19.07
Well, we're still not sure what 'moving forward' with the 48 Hour Project means. However, Chris Lockhart, an executive story editor at ICM and one of the judges on the panel, writes of the event in his blog The Inside Pitch and speaks kindly of our participation in the event, something nice to read on a Thursday morning. Thank you, Chris!
By the way, you can watch it HERE. I know, it says cast and crew only--but that was before the screening. Enjoy!
In other news, Kevin Haskin and I are forging ahead with our newest script and first endeavor at co-authorship, Floored, a feature about...mayonnaise and chiffon. Yeah, that's it...
I've completed my final draft of the action/drama feature The Penitent Man and am now scripting Stepping Time, the short for my two children. I'm also beginning prelim scouting for the short Automatic Transition that I'll shoot in the spring.
Erik Candiani spent yesterday on the FOX lot talking to Wes Craven and pitching him on a script idea, his reward for winning Craven's contest to see who could come up with the best video for a Hills Have Eyes II featured song. I've yet to hear from him--I told him to tell Wes that I could beat him at Texas Hold 'Em.
Did I mention Erik shot a 1 minute film for Good Day Sacramento as a challenge? He had to complete it in 2.5 hours--called me down and I spent an early, early morning there...but he finished in time, yessireebob.
Anything else...hmm...I'll be updating my WRITING page shortly. Yesyes.
[INSERT FANFARE HERE]
4.11.07
Why am I so bad at updating this thing? WHY?!?
So we won the Sacramento 48 Hour Film Project.
Yes, that is a Rife on my back. Then Toby (he's not really that far gone), a gentleman I'm not familiar with, Christine, Erik and Ryan.
Apparently, we're supposed to move forward somehow with this project. None of us are sure what that means.
3.07.07
So the boys got together and participated in the 48 Hour Film Festival this past weekend. Ryan was all set to make a zombie flick and drew 'Romance' for his genre. Ix-nay on the ombie-zays.
However, we all know Ryan, and:
Romance, romance!
The piece, Mercy, was directed by Erik Espera and Ryan Todd. Shot by Brian Hamm and Erik Candiani. Brian Rife, Christine Marie and myself starred. It will screen at the Crest on March 31, 6:30pm, as part of the Sacramento International Film Festival.
2.12.07
After Service is now on The Lot.
Go there. Watch. Leave your thoughts. Tell others!
The resolution is a bit off, and it's a bit darker than we shot--but overall, a decent representation regardless of the compression. And hey--it's there!
1.17.07
Wow. It's been three months? THREE MONTHS? Time, uh, flies.
We placed in the SacTicket "Show Us Your Shorts" Contest as a runner-up. I was actually surprised--due to the debate stirred in the public eye and the variegated reactions I didn't think we had a chance. Lo, we were in the top three and are screening at the Sac Bee's McClatchy Theatre next Thursday night. After Service has been submitted to Spielberg's On the Lot competition and I'm awaiting their preliminary viewing to make sure it doesn't contain gratuitous porn, violence and language. I'm relieved, because originally my title for the piece was 'Gratuitous Porn, Violence and Language.' Glad I changed it. At any rate, the 'Lot' five minute version is better than the 4 minute piece that won recognition. Here's hoping.
Right now we're all recovering from being sick. The Capital Film Arts Alliance is moving forward, the first meeting of the year occurring last night and going relatively smoothly. California is freezing up, a short wave radio operator invades my studio here through my computer speakers almost constantly, and I'm attempting to chart out my course for the year creatively. I have 3 shorts and 5 features to write. Yes, you heard that correctly. I've gone mad. MAD, I tell you!
Buuuuut what else is new...
10.30.06
10.5.06
So I worked with Cack-N-Jolo again on another crazy gig. Well, ok, it's not crazy. It's perfectly normal. Just another day. Yes.
(Quicktime required!)
9.28.06
How odd. I seem to have won the Reader's Choice Award for Best Local Actor in the Sacramento News & Review's Best of Sacramento issue.
Erin Kruger won Best Local Filmmaker, and the Sacramento Film and Music Festival won Best Film Festival. Congratulations to everyone! We all went crazy enough, that's for sure. I still routinely feel privileged to call this group of creative people my friends.
That came out of the blue. Thank you to all of you readers who voted--I really needed a "pick me up" today. This was cool. :)
Right now I'm kind of spinning--so much to do, priorities, goals, dreams--
Basically, God's knocking, and I'm trying to figure out which door He's behind.
8.31.06 : http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=211830
This goes out to everyone saying goodbye to August.
(Don't forget to vote.)
8.4.06 :
Love Lost, Revenge Found won the award in every category. Best cinematography went to Brian Hamm, best actor to Brian Rife and Ryan Todd won best overall film.
Again, I'm blessed and privileged to have this circle of friends--canyasay BOOYAH!
8.3.06 :
Where to start...
Guess the obvious: the 2006 Sacramento Film & Music Festival is up and running. Opening night was sparse, as Wednesdays go, but tonight should draw the dozen filmmakers and their respective teams for the CFAA Creative Interpretations screening at 7pm. Yeah, Love Lost, Revenge Found is among them...there's an article in the Sacramento News and Review today I gave some input on as well. I think it's the best press Nate's had from them to date.
7.20.06 :
Put down the first few pages of the newest script, a psychological thriller called The Shadowbox. Of course, tonight we receive the theme for the 10x10, and tomorrow morning I fly to South Carolina. But hey, apparently I'm not happy unless I overtax my brain. (We've established that, right?)
7.17.06 :
Spent the weekend on the American River, the Romeo and Juliet cast party wonderfully and generously provided by Nate Rangel at Adventure Connection.
I so needed that. Nature had become a distant memory. Rafting the river by day, fighting and flowing with the current of an American legend, having a repast of steak and salmon cooked to perfection, then staying up all night picking out constellations (and coming up with new ones), tracing the tenuous arms of the Milky Way, listening to the roar and trickle of the river directly beside and having the chance to have conversations from the heart--it all seems very surreal right now, like a brief, wonderful dream that lingers in the senses. Coming back to 'reality' was a transition made begrudgingly--things are much simpler up there.
Looks like I'll be able to participate in the 10x10 Filmmaker's Challenge for the Sacramento FIlm & Music Festival after all this year--I'll have a one-day window. Yee-har!
6.30.06 :
Schedule for Sacramento Theatre Company is locked; I'll be doing two shows, The Peculiar & Sudden Nearness of the Moon by Velina Hasu Houston in November, and Othello in March of next year.
Romeo and Juliet closes this weekend. Wow. over 6 months of invested time...craziness. We did a promo for Channel 10 yesterday--right at the end of the run. :) My brain is fried. Onions, please.
6.20.06 :
I finished the first draft of The Penitent Man.
I thought it would run 90 minutes, buuuuut....it's 2 hours long.
And, God help me, I like it!
6.19.06 :
Week two of Romeo and Juliet: complete. Audiences are burgeoning, the word trickling out rather than exploding torrentially, something we could stand to seed a bit.
Got some reviews back. A bit embarrassing--they've all worked so hard and I get singled out; hopefully we'll have more that concentrate on individual performers. I mean, hey, I can't complain, and am grateful, but the goal is for Halcyon to shine and for everyone involved to reap the benefits.
Ah well, I've done, and continue to do, my best toward that end.
In other news, I've been invited to become a non-Equity company member of the Sacramento Theatre Company. This is also good news--I need to find out the schedule to make sure it'll work; must make sure prior engagements are negotiated, and I can't neglect filmmaking like I have for the last 8 months--I'll go mad.
Again.
6.12.06 :
Aside from the neighboring track meet, the sound glitches, the barbecue for 300 people in the adjoining building and the wind, opening weekend went up and off with a great deal of satisfaction.
Addendum: I'm tired.
6.08.06 :
Wow, I just realized something:
I'm really nervous.
All day. My brain is scrambling for purchase. Why, I wonder. I'm just telling a story. Nothing more, nothing less.
I think it might be because I want it to be perfect.
Wow, thought Jason. I'm really nervous.
6.07.06 :
We open this week after a 1 week delay due to 'unforeseen technical obstacles.' Yes, they were unforeseen, and yes, they pretty much skewered our chance of opening on time. However, we are on schedule for a Friday, June 9th liftoff.
People ask me if I'm excited. I tell them I will be after I get some sleep.
5.30.06 :
R&J cast had Memorial Day weekend off. People asked me if I got a chance to relax.
Ryan Todd's Love Lost filmed over the weekend with Erik Candiani's Panasonic HVX-2000, Brian Hamm helming the HD/24p camera, produced by iLine Entertainment for the CFAA Creative Interpretations project. Actor Brian Rife (the good guy) and I kicked, punched and stabbed each other around the tick-infested El Dorado Hills area for a couple of fun-filled 12-hour days...no ticks on me, thankfully. Just bruises. A lot of bruises.
Also, A Bullet Over Fives is now accepted into the Long Island International Film Festival as well as the Jackson Hole Film Festival next weekend.
3 more rehearsals until opening...
5.25.06 :
One week to go...
4.26.06 :
Excitement is good! Congrats to Kevin Haskin for winning the Gold Bone Award for Best Dramatic Short at the Bare Bones Film Festival for A Bullet Over Fives and to Chris King for taking Best First Feature and to Sarah Lewis for Best Actress for their work on Touching Down. Very cool, yesyes! Also, congrats to Kevin for his short, PB&J being accepted to the Seattle International Film Festival!
Conversely, I'm bummed! I just found out a good friend of mine, Michael Dryhurst, is moving to Ireland next week. Dang. The phrase 'I'll miss the opportunity of you' comes to mind; we might not have seen each other much, but it's always a genuine pleasure running into you here and there when we do. Crud crud crud. I must call you.
Ah, well. Guess I'm bound to come visit now. Grin.
What a coinky-dink that my newest script is about...Ireland!
4.17.06 :
This is a very cool honor for Scratching the Surface. I filled out the submission form on my way to the airport on the day it was due to be postmarked. God is good. :)
In other news, Romeo and Juliet is going well. Rehearsals are moving forward, the actors making good progress. And my rapier arrived, thanks to Neil Massy's prompt and excellent work at Rogue Steel. Great job, man!
This Friday I'll rehearse with Ryan Todd for his short entry in the Capital Film Arts Alliance's Creative Interpretations Contest. Brian Hamm's shooting--be awesome to work with you guys again, it's been, like, forever? Yes, forever, I think.
My script for the feature The Penitent Man (working title) is halfway complete. It's writing itself in fits and starts, but the forward progress has been continual and for the most part, regular. I won't describe it save to say it's Irish.
Been spending time drawing closer to God. True. Lot to say on this, not prepared to type it all out right now--but I do have a 'blog that relates a few thoughts of late...
I'd like to write more on it. Perhaps I will.
Pee Ess: Saw the film Take the Lead. Liked it. Enough to say yeah, see it.
3.23.06 :
Hey, look at the time!!!
We begin rehearsals this weekend for Romeo and Juliet. Talk about opening up a hole and throwing time in.
If anyone out there feels like they're having a bad day, here's a little something from my friend Erik Candiani:
So...
let me tell you a story about this guy and his HVX.
He gets it in the mail, unboxes everything like a kid at Christmas...
and sets it up on the tripod, decorating it with everything from Matteboxes
and support rods to a Varizoom controller.
He then turns it on to hear a nice servo GRINDING noise.
Hmmm... must be a mistake - has to be something else making that
whining noise. Nope, the
beautifully decorated HVX truly IS the noise culprit.
The
guy decides to call Panasonic at 6
in morning, and tells the tech that his HVX would like to say something to him
-- he holds the phone up next to the camera, and the tech and camera have a
nice conversation. Yes, this sound
is NOT normal.
As
luck would have it, this is the first time they've heard of anything like
this. A dead out of the box HVX.
What luck... the wait continues as the noisy beast is sent back for an
exchange.
Damn.
At
least the guy has a nice empty Portabrace, Mattebox system and empty P2 card.
Someday...
;(
Erik
Bad news. The HVX already has the 'No interchangeable lens' strike against it...Canon's starting to look good to people already...
More in a few...
2.13.06 :
Now...now things get interesting.
So I might've mentioned I'm playing Mercutio--yes, there it is, in my previous post--except now the director has stepped out of the production for personal reasons, and I'm no longer merely in the boat--I'm in the lighthouse as well.
Seems I'll be directing.
Though I've often wanted to do the show, it's come fairly unexpectedly.
In addition, I've a trip to Los Angeles coming up at the beginning of the month. Thanks to Brian, I'll have a new demo reel to cart along.
Of course, with the schedule changes, and with the weekend video shoots, and my class on Saturdays, things are filling up to capacity. Like, fullness.
I want to write. I've begun writing. I want to write more.
I need a windfall.
1.31.06 :
There's no way it's February already.
All sorts of 'life things' going on right now, not many of them full of such vigor as to include on this page. The house is chaos, floors torn out, ceiling re-rocked due to mold and water. Woohoo. Fun stuff.
People keep asking me what I'm working on right now. Honestly, right now I'm attempting to get my head straight. Memorizing lines for Halcyon Entertainment's Romeo and Juliet. Teaching on Saturdays when I'm not out at 100% Educational Videos working on a 10-part math series. Trying to secure new music for Scratching the Surface. Writing the beginnings of a few scripts. Mourning the Broncos' loss to the Steelers. You know...life and stuff.
I'll be cutting together a demo reel with Brian next Friday. It's about time.
Meanwhile, I saw Munich and King Kong. I liked them both. For, ah, different reasons.
1.10.06 :
So, 2006.
Yes, I survived the holidays. They actually went very well. Right now, I'm just posting because I realized I haven't done so in quite some time, so yesyes, herewego.
Been continuing with the educational video shoot--we've done 3 of 10, I believe...they all seem to run together. I'll give a summary of what's been going on in short order.
No, really.
12.01.05 :
Welp, I didn't make NaNoWriMo. Gave it my best shot--or at least my most practical shot. Wound up with 28,158 words at the stroke of midnight last night, adding over 150 pages to End, the piece I've been working on for about 2 1/2 years now.
I wrote elsewhere:
You know, this year I made some great realizations.
November is a bad month for me to attempt this.
In 2003, I had unwittingly become pretty estranged from my wife and family. It was easier to complete the project because it was easier to isolate myself to do so. But with the restoration of my family, it is very difficult to separate myself from the scant few hours I have with my kids after work—which is broken up again due to acting/filmmaking obligations interspersed here and there—and then the couple of hours a day I have with my wife. During November, I have to sacrifice these in order to complete the goal—and at a time when holidays are prepared for and celebrated, and vacations usually taken in my extended family.
Last year, of course, was interrupted by the discovery that the people living in my home were not who they claimed to be, which killed my creative juices after 8k.
But this year, I was ahead of schedule until (drumroll please) real life called for activities to be completed away from the computer. As much as I’d like to be really disappointed in myself for failing to meet goal two years in a row, I realized ‘Wait…it’s not like you don’t have a full time job, a wife and two children whose lives you now actively participate in, and a burgeoning filmmaking career on the side you’re cultivating—just
when did you think you’d have time to complete this 50k goal?’
But the greater realization is I can do this. I can write 1700 words a day, no sweat. Heck, I can do that—and do it
to my satisfaction in a just couple of hours. I could do even more than that if I turned off the EDIT button in my head—but I don’t
like to do that. It’s not my way of writing. I hate having to go back and do major editing when I can carefully compose a piece the first time, then go back and spend far less time revising my work. Oh, I still need ‘away time’ and editing, of course—but it’s a lot easier when I don’t have pages of word-padding or extraneous exposition to deal with in the long run. I
enjoy deliberating over a carefully chosen word.
So as this year draws to a close, I believe I’m going to set a goal to try to write 25k every month. This is a screenplay, or more on
End, or a journal entry—but this is also something that is attainable, and something by all rights I
should be doing. Just like I should be writing full time, as you who know me and have been attempting to kick my ass into doing for several years now. This year, if anything, has been building toward the realization that fear and bitterness has kept me from believing in dreams, that the myriad obstacles in my life have weighted me down, pinioning me to the earth, and a vicious cycle hasn’t been broken that really needs to be. There is no time for self-pity, self-deprecation or flagellation over regrets—and as I read on the Wayward once, I can’t hurtle into the future at high speed looking into the rear-view mirror for directions. There’s a life to be lived—many of them, in the stories needing to be told.
I've added over 150 pages to End in November. But now, my deadline is death,
and the goal is to get as many words in before that hour comes. :)
So yeah, there it is. Coolest thing: I know where I'm going next with the chapter I'm on. I'm ready to start hashing out ideas for Fall Guys and Shadow Box, and I feel pretty good about the effort made. Yee-haw.
11.25.05 :
Yes, I've been scarce and pretty busy. Like everyone else, it seems.
NaNoWriMo is looking grim, but I'm still gonna push for it. I'm only halfway there, with about 25k under this year's belt. Things just became very busy, what with two weekends of shooting and 4 days in Disneyland...second 8 hour drive to LA-LA land in as many months.
Speaking of which, guess what came outta the blue today?
But this time it's for Hope!
If I could ever get ahold of Brian or Joe, I could share the news...
Also, the Bucho! music video I asst. directed this summer is now online...
11.09.05 cont.:
John Bergstrom's The Other Journal has posted an article he requested I write on Film and the AIDS Pandemic. The entire site is devoted to Africa this issue, and is worthy of your time. Thanks, John, for spreading the knowledge. You rule! :)
11.09.05:
13,357 words into NaNo.
Steady as she goes.
11.07.05:
I've been in absentia for a bit due to various and sundry things, not the least of which is NaNoWriMo. I'm only slightly behind due to a full-weekend shoot for School Videos--we've got ten of them to do over the next few months. Also, Caleb had surgery on his ears, had tubes integrated--he did very well, though was very disoriented coming out of anaesthesia. Kept muttering about 'alien technologies' and 'breaching the temporal layers' and 'alternate realities'...strange.
Meanwhile, NaNo is all-consuming, and I'm fine with that.
10.24.05:
Wow. I mean, like...wow.
Extreme thanks to Jeffrey Overstreet and Mark Moring at Christianity Today for this week's article on Scratching the Surface. I'm kind of speechless...it's very cool, and I really, really pray it helps to further H.E.A.R.T.'s purpose over there.
It's weird, you know...sometimes you feel really distanced from God. Like you've fallen into a hole and are groping about blindly...you feel like 'Man, I'm a rotten son. I've gone off and buried myself again.'
And then He says 'Hey...c'mere--I love you. Why you burying your head in the sand again?'
It's the world, I say. It freakin' hurts.
Sometimes, it really hurts. And it doesn't help that I see all my own faults, like, under a 10,000,000x microscope.
So I'm grateful, you know? For the reminder?
I was informed today my little girl said she couldn't drink her cocoa because there were too many bubbles in it. Mommy said "Stop blowing in it and there won't be as many."
Oh, said Clarity. Okay.
10.17.05:
Some of you might have noticed a dead website and emails bouncing back. That's because when I switched hosts, I thought I had paid for the transference of my web domain as well. Guess what?
My website slash email are back up now, after a week of downtime. Yee-haw!
10.10.05:
Remember this?
Well...
Prayers welcome.
10.3.05:
9.23.05:
Scratching the Surface news:
I am deeply grateful. What more can I say? Thanks to Nathan Schemel, Laurie Pederson, Tony Sheppard and everyone else who worked on the festival. I hope it was as successful for you as everyone else. :)
Now maybe I can get Principle Management and Hans Zimmer's folks to reply...
Also, Congratulations to Kevin Haskin and everyone who worked on Bullet Over Fives; we won the Audience Award for Best Short Film!
AND, congratulations to Chris King, whose Touching Down won both the Jury and Audience Awards for Best Feature Film! Sarah Lewis' performance was absolutely perfect for Chris' script--and it truly deserved the honor.
It's a good morning. Thank you God, I've needed one.
9.20.05:
The Fugitive Hunter release party went well. Good to see the whole gang again--now we just need to get people to buy the flick. So hey: BUY THE FLICK.
Warning: Contains expletives. In regards to the language--yes, there's language in it. The criminal element in this film aren't the most gracious of creatures, and the protagonists involved tend to become upset when under stress. That said, the dialogue is realistic if not restrained--it's written by people who've been directly involved in the fugitive recovery business. It's not 90 minutes of profanity, but know that there are moments where the shizzle hits the fizzle, so to speak.
9.14.05:
Erik Candiani pointed out that I've been lax in updating this page. Hey...he's RIGHT!
It's September already?
So I've started teaching classes Saturdays at Lines - School of Performing Arts. Looking around at other 'methodologists' offering exclusive adjectives like 'only' and 'perfect' for their technique and charging the amount in a weekend I'd charge for 3 months of study. I guess I should be more opportunistic. I just remember my roots, you know? Yeah, there were times I paid the $$$.$$ and did the intensives--and I learned a great deal--but the instructors never stated they had all the answers, never stated theirs was the most effective means of achieving an artistic end. If art were uniform it would cease to be art. There is no one method that works for everyone--but you sure as heck can charge for it as though it is...
I guess it comes back to me and my reticence to charge scads of money for something I believe is a privilege to impart effectively. A gift shouldn't take advantage, you know? Then again, if people are willing to pay it, then it isn't taking advantage. 'Know your worth' and all. But I knew so many really talented people coming from poverty who had to work just to earn enough to take classes while eating Top Ramen (and Top Ramen was the EXPENSIVE stuff...not the 10-for-a-buck Maruchan fare, ifyouknowwhatI'msaying) and trying to pay the bills. I never wanted tuition to be prohibitive.
Conversely, there's a strange satisfaction in going through all of that; a sense of Hah! I've BLED for my art, baby! How 'bout YOU?!?
So classes are good, at any rate. :)
My computer is really annoying me now. I can't get it to even perform a system restore. It won't burn DVDs on my new double-layer burner. I fear I'll have to reformat...which means saving everything to the backup drive...which means I get to kill an entire day and afterwards attempt to salvage all the drivers I've downloaded since for the various programs. My WINXP disc says 'For installation ONLY.' Most discs have a 'repair' function. I wonder if I should call DELL.
Fugitive Hunter released yesterday. There's a signing/release party Sunday afternoon at Pyramid. Congratulations, guys--there's finally a light at the end of the post-production tunnel!
For myself, I'm going to write again, I think. I'm gearing up to go to L.A. for the Arpa Film Festival on October 5th--hopefully at least one of my friends will be in town. Yes, I have friends. They're just busy an awful lot. And they're an awful lot. But yeah, writing. I have to finish the novel. I have to finish the scripts. I have to have to have to aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Oh, yeah:
Found out my son, Caleb, is nearly 100% deaf in his left ear.
How about that.
Going to the audiologist today to determine if a tube will 'fix' it--there's 400 gallons of fluid in there, it seems, spurred by the numerous ear infections he's had. If you pray, and have time and inclination to think of him, please pray for his healing. They seem to think tubes will solve it...we'll see.
Pretty much everything else became unimportant when I found out about that.
8.18.05:
So I passed the driver's test and all is well with the world. I'm legally permitted to hurtle a large hunk of metal at high speed throughout the country.
We also completed our three 10x10 films. Brian sauntered up at 6:57pm, three minutes shy of the deadline, and handed over the tapes.
Brian's: Ewigkeit
Ryan's: Loop
Jason's: Saturated
8.11.05:
My driver's license expires today, because it's my birthday.
Meanwhile, I'm trying not to stress about the editing/completion of my 10x10 piece...my comp kept going 'pbbbbthtptptp' last night...
In other Scratching the Surface news:
8.09.05:
So tired.
Friday night we
received the theme for the 10x10 Filmmaker’s Challenge: End
of Days. So
I called Schwarzenegger up, and we
Saturday we set to
work. I wrote my script, Brian and Ryan wrote/finalized theirs, and at
roughly
At
This week, we all
try to find time to edit, ADR, voiceover and do two (2) pickup shots.
Meanwhile, I need
to try to get my brain to shut down.
Hopefully in time for my 35th birthday on Thursday...
Will write more on our
experience in a bit.
8.03.05:
No, it isn't because I don't have any love in my heart. It's because I've been crazy that I haven't updated this page for three weeks.
Scratching the Surface will screen August 20th in the 10:00 AM - Noon slot at the Sacramento Film & Music Festival. Shortly thereafter, in the 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM slot, A Bullet Over 5's will screen. Then, that evening, Sac Music Seen will show the glut of music videos everyone and their mom worked on here in Sactown. I myself worked on the Bucho! video That's What I Say as Erin Kruger's Assistant Director, and walked around Lincoln for a day and a half as the lead actor in Crash the Machine's video Two Worlds, directed by Carla Giampapa.
At Noon on Sunday the 20th, Ryan Todd's short Convenience will screen; this evening we're dropping in a short poem I wrote that he's keen on. Then at 2:00 I'll facilitate the 2:00 PM panel discussion "Directing the Actor." Lastly, the festival will close out with the entries from the 10x10 challenge.*
Which reminds me...this week we receive the theme. Last year, O Faithful Reader, you recall it was The Undead and the Seven Deadly Sins. This year, we have no idea what it could be, but we get to know on Friday night instead of Thursday, so we lose some valuable production time. But looks like we're set with lights courtesy of Dave Bungie, a 25 foot crane thanks to Brett Allen, and myself, Brian and Ryan are gonna stay up Friday night until we get the concept into script form or we die bleeding from the ears.
*Sunday also marks the screening of Scott Cramer's Nephilim, and Erik Candiani's Fangoria-magazine honored Working Stiff. Scott's one of the Three Henchmen, the guys I try to use/refer as much as possible (including Ryan Todd and Toby Annis), and Erik is just a freak I met whose work I really appreciate. Too bad he stinks at returning email in a timely manner. ;)
Finally, Fugitive Hunter is slated to release-to-DVD on September 15th. Executive Producer and close friend of mine Larry Sherman is starting to breathe a a little easier--after all, it's been almost two years of post-production and more money than I think I've ever made in my life.
So, all this, AND:
Monday night scene studies for the Capital Film Arts Alliance are going very well. Great group of people--of course, it's hot (about 102-104° on average) so the study-ites are dropping like flies. Well-versed flies, but flies nonetheless. I forgot how much I like teaching/facilitating...of course, I'll have to remember, because I begin teaching at Lines - School of Performing Arts at the end of the month on Saturdays. Yes, Jennifer's performing arts school is official, it opens officially in four weeks. They're ripping the guts out of it right now, and Jennifer is ripping her hair out. Kidding. No, she's excited. And mad as a hatter. If you're in the area and want to study, I'll have the website link up as soon as it's finished.
At the end of the month I find out about SIX, count 'em, SIX more festival entries. If you wanna pray/send good vibes/coerce panelists, pray the HEARTLAND festival likes us.
So yeah.
Somewhere in there I'm also a daddy...and I seem to be doing ok at that as well. By the grace of God, they think I'm pretty cool. :)
7.20.05:
Scratching the Surface will screen August 11th at 8:30 PM at the Gloria Film Festival in West Valley City, UT. Incidentally, this is the date of my birthday. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this one; we'll be in mid-production of the 10x10 Challenge for the Sacramento Film & Music Festival and preparing for the screenings the following week...
7.16.05:
There's a write-up on the God on Film festival at Vision Gate Film. I'd encourage everyone to take a look at the summary of the event. Pretty cool--thanks Nancy!
"While many of the movies covered weightier issues such as sin, victimization and death, there were some comedic films as well as those that sought to inspire actualization of love and compassion towards others. "The Least of These", directed by Rik Swartzwelder, dealt with extending the love of Christ to one who is normally treated with disdain. Rousing documentaries such as "Scratching the Surface: A Journey with HEART" (Director: Jason Bortz), and "The New Heroes: India with Robert Redford" (directed by Carl Byker) which won for Best Documentary, both encouraged the audience to see the difference one life can make in the lives of so many. One would be hard-pressed to make it through the day without shedding some tears and possibly being moved to serve in a similar capacity. When has your last night of television watching done that for you?" --Nancy Quarantotto
7.15.05:
Oh, hey...
7.14.05:
Just now getting over the tired-ness of a
whirlwind trip to NYC and back in 60 hours.
The God
on Film Festival was a great
experience; 25 filmmakers all with a vision for quality, redemptive
filmmaking that I counted myself privileged to stand among. Scratching
the Surface didn't win the award, but it did win the attentions of
many filmmakers and audience members who were moved and touched by it,
enough to approach me and ask me more about the organization (and can they
come along next time). Amen, that's what we made it for. God is good. :)
Apparently the festival was a
success--they're already planning next year's event and invited me back.
Guess I need to make something else now...and hey, it'd be cool to
collaborate with some of y'all who I met at the festival, y'know?
Speaking of which, we're rolling up to the
10x10 challenge here in the next 3 weeks. Ten minute film in ten days thing.
Yeehaw.
I told Jenn I feel split in so many
directions right now. The husband, father, the actor, the director, the
writer--and the guy who sits at a computer all day pointing and clicking at
pixels--that it's hard to tell what comprises the 'complete man' as opposed
to the 'fractured man' sometimes.
Ultimately, it comes down to faith, and to
careful observation of the opportunities presented--and then prioritizing
the time which seems to slip away faster than it can regenerate.
I'm blessed, this is true--I need to work
on my gratitude.
Again, thank you all, those who supported
my efforts to get back to NYC. I think I'll be working with a few of the
people I met, down the road. Yeah, another faith thing.
That's life. :)
This weekend I'll be updating this site
yet again. And trying to fix my email, which I cannot send from home. Grrr.
6.22.05:
There's now a means for people to directly support the documentaries on the H.E.A.R.T. site!
It's right here.
6.17.05 (con't):
Also: Congrats to everyone involved in A Bullet Over 5's and for getting the final edit done in time for festival submissions! You guys rule!
6.17.05:
I added the teaser trailer for Acedia in small and large format. I also realized I'm going to re-cut the whole thing; there are some things I can no longer live with, and must slice them away as the scalpel does.
I'm working on a photo gallery for each project as well, the H.E.A.R.T. page being a bit more extensive, of course. As I'm also learning to design the CFAA website, I'm pretty much flying on instruments. Yee haw. Anyone want to modernize my site? Ha-ha?
Need to make new business cards as well. I like the old ones, need to make 'em brighter, I think:
A few people have said "They're hard to read." Then they look closer at them...which, in my backward thinking, is the whole point.
6.16.05:
Yeah, I know, I know. At least I'm consistently inconsistent. But good news for Scratching the Surface! (Click for links)
And:
Yup, after 6 rejections, two acceptances in one day--and the obvious bonus! And on the day that marked the exact 1 year anniversary of our first setting foot in Kenya. The day that I left the house and said 'Lord...I could use some good news about now.'
Keep praying folks--and make it known: H.E.A.R.T. needs to be seen. Their efforts needs to be supported. Their work needs to not only continue, but to flourish. If you want to pray for anything, pray that these screenings lead to more exposure, credibility and opportunity for both H.E.A.R.T. and ÆSTUS Films. And from there, those around me whom I really, really want to create brilliant things with. You wanna pray, thereyago.
More sooner than later.
4.28.05:
4.05.05:
Saw Saints and Soldiers again tonight. If you've not seen it, go see it. Right now. This page will still be here when you get back.
It is the reason films should be made. Period. You can argue with me all you want, but go see it first. Again, congratulations to Ryan and Adam (and Peter, whose email keeps me in the loop)--you've been amazing vessels for this project. Next time you come to Sacramento, I'll buy the nachos.
Well, we got our first rejection for Scratching the Surface and Hope, from the Seattle Film Festival. Oddly, of all the places I expected rejection, Seattle was not one of them. I also realized today that when I sent StS to the Inspiration Film Festival, I misread the whole 'Documentaries under 40 minutes not eligible for competition.' I thought this simply meant they weren't able to receive awards, but could be screened. Heh. Live and learn. I could throw ten more minutes on--maybe of the safari motatu driver saying "JayGee? JayGee? JayGee?" into his CB for another ten minutes would do just nicely...
I finished draft number VIII of The Courier and re-registered it with the Writer's Guild--only taken 11 years to get to this point! It's down to 94 pages of action packed lunacy. I dunno, folks--every time I read it, I laugh out loud. Is that hubris? Dementia? I figure anyone who can make themselves crack up as much as I do must either need help or given authority to do whatever they want...at any rate, I'm looking to figure out when to shoot it, and also now considering which of my other four million ideas to write...
Anyone got some time I could borrow?
3.22.05:
Hi
all.
There's
been quite a lot going on of late--I'd say the good outweighs the
not-so-good, but the not-so-good was really painful even though I saw it
coming for nearly three months...sort of like knowing my son's hamster was
about to die, but holding out that hope that maybe it was just a cold
and would pass. Nope. It just kept getting worse until it finally slipped
softly into the ether...except the chapter closing on the current situation
has no resolution, so I know there's more down the road, good or bad--it
ain't over yet.
Regardless,
obla-di, obla-da, life goes on. God must really love me, because He trusts
me with a lot of stuff that is potentially devastating.
We
finished principle photography on Bullet
Over Fives this weekend, averaging about 12 hour days, not too
bad. An assortment of pictures from the shoot can be found here
on Veann Cao's site. She's very skilled and did a great job for
the Saturday she was on set, toting my DVX around in one hand and her 8
megapix digital in the other, alternating grabs-and-snaps for the
behind-the-scenes footage...and it was a giddy pleasure to work with most of
the best crew in
The HEART piece is now submitted to 17 festivals. Hope stands at five submissions, 40 Year at four. $800 is a lot of money normally. In this situation, I haven't even really thought about it. Spend money to earn money, right? God is good, He keeps it coming in without fail.
Facilitating
the Scene Study workshop at Capital Film Arts Alliance is a continuing
challenge/pleasure. We may have to go from every other Monday to a weekly
thing...people are actually starting to show up, so the time allotments for
work is narrowing. CFAA's website should be up and running soon, you'll hear
about it when it gets there.
Bri
and I are gearing up for what's next...
It
may just have to be The Courier.
3.8.05 (later):
Scratching the Surface has been submitted to 14 festivals so far. Hope, 4. 40 Year Scotch, 2. (Many fests don't take 'em from before 2004.)
Oh, and I'm going broke...woohoo!
3.8.05:
Monday my son's hamster died--a big deal, y'know? We buried the little guy, "Lucky" (No, I didn't say 'Guess he's not Lucky anymore, is he?') and did the prayers and tears. Caleb struggled to keep it together even though I told him it was perfectly acceptable to mourn--but, wanting to be brave, he kept somewhat even keeled 'til just after I left...
That's a big deal to a young soul. A hamster.
3.01.05:
Gearing up to work with Brian again--but this time as an actor in Kevin & Jo Haskin's A Bullet Over Fives, their second short. The first, Training Wheels, is making the festival rounds (and winning awards, canyuhbleeveit!), but this one is a bit darker--still redemptive, but darker. So naturally I'm involved. Funny stuff.
Also, best goes out to Ryan Todd for his upcoming Convenience which Bri will also be shooting--we're piggybacking an HD rental, you see, so several wacky ideas are better than one...
Scratching the Surface is now submitted to nine festivals with four more on the immediate horizon. Hope is submitted to three, and 40 Year Scotch sent out to one as well. I'd actually send that one out to a few more, but I'm going broke with all the HEART submissions. Hey, I'm not complaining--it's great, because I know how good this piece is, and feel that this one is all up to God, so I feel no stress about the money or even about whether or not it's accepted. I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing--I'll let the Big Man work out the details.
The Capital Film Arts Alliance is also underway, and I'm facilitating a scene study workshop that meets every other Monday. We've been greenlighted for every Monday, but we'll have to see what kind of response we get. Meantime, we've got a decent group of people interested, and I feel that we might just get the Sacramento foundation poured yet...
Worst news: I can't find my notebook. Not a laptop--my NOTEBOOK, the one with all my journal entries from Africa, my storyboards from various projects, my thoughts--my NOTEBOOK. I can't find it anywhere. This is not a good thing. This is a lame thing.
Other than that, it's raining here. I love the surrounding thrall, heavy upon the roof.
I need to find a monologue.
2.26.05:
A few people have stated they couldn't get the HEART trailers to work. I should mention that they take several minutes to download; on my DSL, they're about 5-8 minutes. On cable, they're about 3-5 minutes. On dialup, they're about 6 years.
Moral 1: Dialup is dead.
Moral 2: I need to learn how to stream stuff better.
Moral 3: Everyone else needs to learn patience. Ha ha. Grr!
2.24.05:
The larger (640 x 480, 33MB) HEART trailer is now viewable on the HEART page.
And I'm tired.
2.21.05:
The smaller (320 x 240, 13.1 MB) HEART trailer is now viewable on the HEART page.
Give it a few minutes to cache; I haven't figured out streaming video yet. Grin.
The DVD will be available for purchase on the HEART website shortly.
I've also added a Links page, and the beginnings of a page that'll have some of the stuff I've done 'acting-wise.'
2.3.05:
I'm finally getting around to updating everything. It's an arduous task for one without training--I've already got enough irons in the fire...but I figured alright, this is kind of important, and I'm kind of, well, WAY behind. SO here we are.
There'll be three new pages going up soon: HOPE, which won the 'Best Overall in Cinema Award' at its Sacramento Festival of Cinema premiere. ACEDIA, the filmmaker's challenge put forth by the Sacramento Film Festival to make a 10 minute film in ten days with a theme of the festival's choosing (The Undead and the 7 Deadly Sins), and new information on H.E.A.R.T. and the documentary we shot over there. Yes, the pieces are falling in place.
You can see Hope hosted by the Festival website. I find the streaming to be okay, but I'm gonna try to host it here; the ghosting drives me nuts. Windows Media seems to work best without stuttering...
So in the nest two weeks or so I'm working on getting the stuff online. The HEART benefit is this weekend, and next weekend I'll be in Seattle visiting my good friend Overstreet and Harper, so it may take a little bit longer--but I promise, it IS coming.
Take care. :)
PRE - 2.3.05:
As time goes on, I'm seeing more and more things pop up here. Kind of odd, considering I originally thought moving to Northern California was a sort of self-imposed death sentence professionally.
Well, maybe not that bad, but when you go from Seattle to New York to Los Angeles to Roseville, there's a paradigm shift of sorts that occurs. Kinda like going from the speed of sound to scrunching up the legs in a Radio Flyer and rolling down a short grassy hill at a 30 degree angle.
How silly of me to forget that God has a sense of humor.
When it came down to it, cultivating a burgeoning career in a cutthroat environment simply didn't compare to giving my newborn son a chance to have a childhood in a healthy, beautiful landscape. I didn't want to divide my attentions, didn't want to rob him of a father. L.A. will always be there--and I think I convinced myself that if I said that enough times I'd eventually believe it.
Tons of people live outside of Hollywood and still work there. Right, Visionary Spirit?
Right, rationale. Sure. Have another drink while you're at it. On me.
I guess I should also mention I was sick of working at Blockbuster. The movie perks were great but man, being robbed and having death threats on my life took their toll--some customers just can't handle late fees.
Since moving here, I've met a good deal of very talented people. More than that, they're talented hungry people. I never thought I'd meet the lunatic contingent I'm surrounded by in a town like Sacramento, the quote political hub endquote of California.
Amazing how things work out.
As an actor, writer and director (yeah, you really CAN burn the candle at three ends--just know you're gonna get burned occasionally) I'm grateful for the opportunities I'm presented as the clock ticks on. I'm also pleased to be able to share whatever it is I do with you, the viewer, the critic, the provider, whomever--the chance to throw it out there for all and sundry is truly a blessing, one that I'm convinced is one of the greatest in life.
I'f you feel like commenting, or contributing, or (God forbid) hiring me or any of my crew for an idea you've got in your head, feel absolutely welcome to email me. Just click on the 'Contact' button up there to the right--or you can join the forum and stir things up, or just sign the guestbook and say Yo, I was here, aight?
That'll be fine.
I've got a ways to go before the site is all in order--a little here, a little there, but hey: that's life, right?
Take care, and look forward to seeing you soon.
Jason