From the Second Floor Penthouse

A few things I’ve learned this week:

1) Don’t have a fight with your partner and leave for a week with the issue unresolved.

2) Shooting on 35mm takes an inordinate amount of time to prepare each shot compared to shooting with a digital camera.

3) After five minutes standing outside in 2 degrees with a windchill of -12 your ears fall off and must be surgically reattached.

4) Nothing compares to a tall bed frame with a thick mattress and extra pillows. I may take up residency in this hotel.

5) When things beyond my control go out of control the thought to remember is ‘detachment.’

6) When the sidewalks are rolled up by 9 every night and the only place to get food after a long day of work is the local gas station, expect to gain five pounds around your waist by the next morning.

7) There may be a over a hundred channels on TV, but there’s still nothing to watch.

8) Filming in the hinterlands is deceptively expensive. It’s cheaper to film where you live.

9) Going without internet access for more than 12 hours is less of an addiction problem and more of a lost opportunity problem. At least in this business.

10) Regardless of the first 9 points, a bird in hand is better than two in the bush.

Posted in Uncategorized

The heroes, villains and victims in GOLIAD UPRISING are in stasis this week while I do two acting gigs that keep me away from editing.

Last Friday I was in a CBS pilot ‘Red Hook’ directed by Wil Shriner and produced by Norman Steinberg. It was totally cool to work for these guys.

I remember watching the ‘Wil Shriner Show’ and have seen a lot of the TV shows Wil has directed more recently.

And Norman is famous for writing the BLAZING SADDLES script but he’s also produced some really great projects.  He worked on the Marlo Thomas TV show “Free To Be You and Me” which had a HUGE influence on my childhood.  I mean, HUGE.   I didn’t tell him that, cause I didn’t want to gush.  But I can still quote lots of scenes from that show.  (“You’re bald, you must be a boy.” “I don’t feel like a boy.” “Everybody knows boys are bald. Boy, are you bald. Bald as a ping pong ball. You must be a boy.” “But I feel like a girl.”)

“Red Hook” is a cool idea for a nighttime serial drama and it would be great if the network decides to pick it up.  I was cast as an architect designing a soccer stadium that will require the demolition of a long established community.  I think I look connivingly evil enough for that.

Immediately after wrapping that job I caught the subway over to Penn Station and took the train to Hudson, New York.  I’ll be here through Friday working on the film VANITAS directed by Paige Campbell.  The movie is about a family with eating disorders. The mother and two teenage daughters have issues; the father (me) is somewhat oblivious.  The great thing about the role is that during each take I get to eat while the three actresses don’t.

Last night I downed half a bottle of wine for one scene.  As you probably know, I don’t drink much at all.   I was really  feeling it when it came time to do the next scene.  We filmed till 1:30am before they released me back to my hotel.  (The crew still had one more scene to film before calling it a night.) I’m still a bit murky in the brain from last night.

Everyone is off today and I’m about to venture outside in the 12 degree weather  to hunt for lunch.  Hudson, as I’m discovering, is a cool town. There are more historic buildings here than any other city in the state and bazillions of antique stores.  And you know what that means: gays.

I might hunt for more than lunch.  Who knows?

The edit on GOLIAD UPRISING resumes next week.  So far I have 28 minutes rough cut, but less than a fourth of the film edited.  That means I’ll be going back and tightening everything after I finish the first edit. My goal is always to make a 90 minute movie, and that may require a good deal of trimming for this one.

 

 

Posted in film, Goliad Uprising, New York
Tags: Goliad Uprising, Norman Steinberg, Paige Campbell, Paul Bright, Red Hook, Vanitas, Wil Shriner

The first eleven minutes of GOLIAD UPRISING are cut together in my editing timeline and GOLIAD UPRISING is beginning to take shape. I jumped into the heart of the film to start the edit, so these 11 minutes aren’t at the beginning of the movie.

These are the scenes with Ariel (Shannon Lark) and David (Aaron Weisinger) escaping from the police at his apartment, running from the neighborhood with the Austin city skyline in the background, arguing about whether or not David can return to his normal life again while they walk down a back road in the country, and then escaping the police again by jumping in the river and hiding in the brush along the shore.

It’s a very fast paced sequence that includes Ariel explaining to David why the new technology is dangerous.

 
David: “What’s the big deal if they program the BCI so people don’t see the smog in LA?”
Ariel: “Because everyone in this country will be using a BCI and they will be told what to think. The whole country brainwashed. We’re trying to stop it. That’s all.”

These scenes were filmed in two days in both San Marcos (along the river) and in Austin (at Lady Bird Town Lake). The August afternoon heat was well over 100 degrees both days. The only relief for Shannon and Aaron was a brief swim both days.

 

Tomorrow I begin editing the subsequent scene of Ariel taking David to her place and meeting her roommates, who fear the cops will follow. It’s an intense sequence involving SWAT police and a shooting. I will be working on it the rest of the week.

In other news, ABRUPT DECISION is now available. Order from me at www.abruptdecision.com for $12. (Or pay $19.95 at Amazon.) I ship via first class mail the day you order (except next week).

On Friday I’ll be working in front of the camera for a TV pilot for CBS called “Red Hook” and then working the next 8 days in upstate New York acting in the film VANITAS directed by Paige Campbell.

I’ll be back at my desk January 22 and will ship out all the ABRUPT DECISION orders that came in during the previous week.  (So order today and I’ll ship right away.)

Posted in film, filmmaker, Goliad Uprising
Tags: Aaron Weisinger, film, Goliad Uprising, indie film, Paul Bright, sci-fi, sci-fi thriller, Shannon Lark

As this year dribbles to a finish I’m thrilled, ecstatic, greatly relieved to have finished syncing the audio tracks to the film footage for GOLIAD UPRISING.  What that means, basically, is that we shot the film and recorded the sound on separate devices and the two digital files must be married so that you hear Shannon Lark and Aaron Weisinger talking when their mouths move.

 It’s the first step in the actual edit of the film and incredibly tedious.

Now I get to play as I put together different takes and camera angles and create the film.

A LOT has happened in our societies in the past four months since shooting this movie. The whole Occupy Movement appeared here in the US and the Arab Spring appears to have had some positive results, with more changes afoot.  Since GOLIAD UPRISING epitomizes the nature of these popular uprisings I’ve been intensely watching the real world unfold.

What I’ve decided to do with GOLIAD UPRISING is show the shocking contrast between the happy talk of mass media and the plight of the real world.

You know what I’m talking about: Go to any online news source and next to an article about global warming, political or economic crisis you will see a story about a rescued dog, a baby panda, a pussycat reunited with its family after seven years.  These two topics are given the same importance as though it’s just as relevant to you that a dog was pulled from an icy lake as it is that your retirement funds are decimated.

I’ve found the perfect song by Stephen B. Sandknop for this movie. I’m using the hypnotic “A Strange Kind” at the beginning of the film while riot police violently raid a political gathering. Check out the song; it’s awesome.

This time of year requires me total up the costs of these film productions and GOLIAD UPRISING  came in slightly over $9,000. Making a full length feature film for nine thousand bucks is an extraordinary testimony to the cast and crew who donated their talent to this really powerful movie.  I cannot thank them enough.

To the people who donated to cover other costs, you are my angels and my benefactors. You are the people who make these films possible. I am eternally appreciative of your support.

We still have one outstanding debt to pay from the production of GOLIAD UPRISING.  We owe someone $750 for services rendered.  It’s an expense I couldn’t barter away and an IOU that I must fulfill.  When you are looking at your year end income and tax consequences, please consider donating to Silly Bunny Pictures to cover this expense.

Your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law.  And wouldn’t you rather your money support film you love than a government that can’t get its act together?

Donate here: https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/3175

Thank you.

Let’s make 2012 a better year.

Posted in film, filmmaker, Goliad Uprising, Texas
Tags: Aaron Weisinger, film, Goliad Uprising, Mike Justice, Paul Bright, sci-fi thriller, Shannon Lark, Stephen B. Sandknop

…shipping DVD’s of ABRUPT DECISION to all the good little boys and girls of the world.

Okay, well not ALL the good boys and girls.  Just the ones who bought a copy. Today is the final day to get them in the mail before the holidays descend and I go into a sugar cookie coma, gazing at the cat batting the twinkling lights on the tree.  Ahhh, tis the season to be industriously unproductive in the world of business.

If you haven’t reserved your ABRUPT DECISION stocking stuffer, I’ve got a few left at www.abruptdecision.com.  I’ll get the DVD in the mail to you immediately and it might still make it to your chimney by Saturday evening. As soon as Amazon, TLA and Water Bearer Films start selling it at the retail price I won’t be able to offer the discount.  So, uh, you want to get it now.

In the midst of the merrymaking I have a rehearsal dinner tonight for an acting gig two weeks from now and I’m prepping two monologues for an audition on Thursday.  I’m starting to get a handle on the film edit of GOLIAD UPRISING.  

I also did a quick count of this year’s work and I did 23 acting gigs in 2011, which was a lot of fun.  

Let’s see what 2012 brings.

Posted in film, film distribution

Friday morning I took the #1 subway line to meet the film crew for IKE TALKS TO GOD at the corner of 122nd Street and Riverside Drive.

It was a beautiful day. Because I had the flu, fevers, chills, was nauseated and felt like dying I’d taken drugs that basically meant I felt no pain, nor my face or anything I touched.

Eli Shapiro auditioned me for this cameo role in his comedy film nearly two months ago and there was no way I was going to tell him about this minor medical inconvenience.

In the entertainment world the motto is ‘If you’re not in the hospital, show up.’  So I showed up and sat in the sunshine next to this 1800′s stone column building.

I noticed tour buses cruising the street, and even tour groups getting out and taking pictures.  There was no parking lot, no fences or billboards, and nobody standing around collecting money.  I snorted to myself ‘What is this, Grant’s Tomb?’

After a while as the drugs took a firmer grip I stood up and noticed the National Park Service Flag waving in the breeze and then saw the sign:  It’s Grant’s Tomb.  (Grant’s Monument, actually.) I started convulsing with laughter.  The film crew were busy doing something else; I doubt they noticed.

We filmed my scene in front of the steps of Grant’s Tomb. It’s going to look totally awesome in the film.

Between takes I went inside and checked things out. And the building was heated, which felt like heaven since it was a cold morning.  So the famous question:

Q: What’s inside Grant’s Tomb?

A: A cute and friendly National Park Service employee.

I plan to go back for a more personal tour.

 

Posted in Uncategorized

You’ve probably never heard of her.

I hadn’t.

On the Saturday it snowed in New York (Halloween weekend) she invited me to be in this music video. (Click the image below.)

Please share this on Facebook. Tweet it on your phone. Tristan Noww deserves all the recognition possible for her incredible talent.

Posted in art, New York
Tags: hip hop, music video, Tristan Noww, Voices in My Head

Tilda Swinton spoke to a full New York auditorium Tuesday night telling the New York Times that she is ‘not an actor’ and that she is only doing ‘industrial films’ (Hollywood movies) because she was asked.  The Academy Award winner also compared receiving an Oscar to winning a cake at a county fair raffle, and said she only makes movies with friends.

Immediately after her speech three thousand struggling actors killed themselves in a fit of desperation.

Okay, not really.

Tilda did speak last night and she did say all those things.  She also made a reference to making money earlier in her life from horse gambling. Her grandfather’s gardener taught her a “totally dope method” for picking horses.  SO apparently she didn’t need to make any money on all those early art films she did with Derek Jarman.

Though three thousand actors did not actually drop dead last night after her speech, no doubt there were some who wished they had.

The lesson learned from the speech is that here is an actress who is doing what she wants with her life, she was incredibly fortunate to be friends with Derek Jarman who cast her in her first nine movies, and fame and fortune are ultimately beyond the control of any one person.

However, if you’d like Cynthia Schiebel and Peggy Mae Binn to ultimately become famous now that they’ve made six movies for me, please buy their movie ABRUPT DECISION.  I have the ABRUPT DECISION dvds, direct from the manufacturer.  I’m even selling them below retail since there is no distributor cost involved.  Get the movie here.  And if enough people BUY ABRUPT DECISION I’ll be able to cast Cynthia and Peggy Mae in movies 7, 8 and 9.

Posted in Uncategorized

Brian Savoie and his family are hosting a screening of ABRUPT DECISION in Kansas City this Saturday, November 19th and I’m gonna be there.  I’m flying in just for the evening to meet with you, and Brian, and Brian’s friends, and your friends.

We’ve been keeping ABRUPT DECISION under wraps for quite a while now – even some of the cast hasn’t seen it. This is the last sneak preview before it goes into full distribution at the end of this fall.

Send Brian a message and let him know you’re joining us.  I’ll be delighted to see you.

Movie starts at 6.  Don’t be late.

Posted in Uncategorized