Casting

The summer's almost gone. I could say without a doubt, it was our best one yet. Moved into a new house, out of the bad hood, into a good one. Heather's become a working photographer. I'm working on a film project. The kids have just continued being the two coolest kids - learned to fish, swim, ride two wheels, hit a baseball, paint a house, act in a movie. All in one summer. Nothing I can think of beats fishing with my son for the first time. We caught these catfish that swim up near pa-inlaw's dock. It's almost like catching a house pet, but Alex loved it. Tossed it back. I can see that moment having been had between father and son probably since the first time humans hunted fish. He liked casting the best.

Mine for the films is done as well! I think. I've called back the girl. The pastor is great. I mean, he's more experienced than I'd hoped for in what's basically a student film project (without even the filmschool sanction). But I don't have a Bene. I'm leaning towards playing him. I mean, I wrote the story in first person, and it's quite a polished story. I know the character, and if I threw in some blue contacts, could match myself to my son (whose playing Bene as a boy). But I'm concerened how to direct and act at the same time. Seems alot like trying to play the guitar and sing at the same time, without knowing how to do either.

Other than that...rolling. Storyboarded pretty heavily. Planning on turning the house into a church on Saturday. I have these huge deck boards left over from the deck we just put on, and I'm erecting a real live crucifix in the yard for all to behold. With that, a few nailed to the house complete with a cemetery and wire fence. All the locations are secured and accessable throughout preproduction. Should be a blast.

Gun Nuts

Let me preface this with, I hate guns. If I were classifying myself before running for national office, I would be a self-proclaimed anti-gun liberal. With that said:

This weekend I shot a kick-ass AK-47, a 12 guage shotgun that about blew my shoulder off when it kicked back on me, and a little .22 rifle with scope. Never shot a gun before. I have to admit, it has a moment of exilaration that comes with it, followed by a moment of disappointment (much like the other first time with a more familiar lower caliber gun). I mean, shooting pepsi cans and folding chairs--come on. NRA masturbation at its best. Cool pictures of me shooting the weapons aside, still don't see what the big love affair with the thunder stick is. And neither could my dog. However, my boy love it! To see a five year old, peering down the scope at the poor helpless orange juice bottle on a stump....I felt like I was in Palestine, training my son to defend his sisters from the evil forces of some other religion. My daughter was much like me. She fired the weapon, but didn't ask again. Even turned down second opportunities. Heather wouldn't touch the things.

Of course, we weren't shooting in our back yard. We took the kids camping for the first time, so I felt it was in the spirit of the trip to let my kids fire lethal weapons. To be honest, I caved under the pressure of my son's begging eyes, and he's such a cool ass kid, I just couldn't say no. If he ends up commiting some sort of Columbine killing years from now, refer to this post to call me a bozo.

All in all, one of the top five weekends of my life. Without a doubt. Wife was awesome. Kids were awesome. Sister-in-law and her boyfriend were great company, and though I don't mesh that well with gun-toating F-350 driving types, he and I got along great. I'm just more of a nancy I guess. I like books and writing. He was asking me to go on a hike every five minutes. Aside from that, though, once I fired a few hundred rounds of lead, he let me be on the hiking thing. I read a little. Wrote on the way home. Thought a ton about how lucky I am to have such a bomb ass family.

As far as Watering Stones goes, got home and weeded through headshots. Called back 5 girls for the female lead - 3 guys for the male lead - and three for the male supporting. Auditions are on the 15th. I'm a bit nervous. Never taken myself this serious. It occurred to me, that this step is alot like stepping up on kareoke night and having to decide whether or not to give it your all, sing like you feel it in your bones, or just go up there and goof off so you don't get hurt when you fail. I now have a responsibility to sing all the vocals like there were mine. Fuck the drunks in the second row talking through my prerecorded set of John Mayer tunes that I'm singing from my toes. I have to belt it out. These three actors will force me to take myself seriously. Those three days of shooting, I'll HAVE to be a director, not some coffee boy, but a director damnit! Action, bitches.