When it Rains...

July is to me what the sixties are to American history.

Usually turbulent, filled with crisis and sometimes, hope too.

For example, the first July we were open, Java limped to the six month mark, my house was nearly in foreclosure, we were staying in a house we were trying to fix and flip (which is hard when you haven't the money even to pay your own mortgage), and to top it off, my brother and I had a blow out about the coffee shop.
I thought we'd never speak again. (we do now, but it's not the same...won't ever be.)

Every July, sales lag, bills keep coming, and I usually wonder what I'll do with my life.

Last July, we nearly closed. Sales reached an all time low. Gas, and milk and coffee and all food really took a leap - which for a restaurant is no picnic.

This July, however, refused to adhere to that ugly trend. Despite the leap in gas prices, business has been steady. I finished another short script and have sent it out for notes (plan to spend next July shooting it).

AND I GOT A JOB!

My father sighs a huge gust of relief knowing I'll be "working for the man" as he puts it. I'll be teaching high school English at a local school - so the bills will be paid. I'll be using my degree for Christ's sake! Now I don't have to laugh every time I write those student loan checks.

I've got solid help at the shop. Looking to add one more to round out the crew, but stepping away is going more smoothly at this point than I'd imagined. I'm sure it will be a constant nagging (hopefully a profitable nagging), but it'll nag nevertheless.

In addition, I've nearly completed the first episode of The Adventures of Tone Loc - a reality mockumentary filmed in downtown Suffolk.

And if all that weren't plenty - I'm working on the 48hour film project with some killer people who will no doubt leave me with much more knowledge than I had before.

To the universe,
karma, God,
or whomever,
Thanks for this July. Just don't make me pay for it with an awful august.

Humbling Perspective

Watched Gangs of New York last night / this morning for the forth time in a month. This time with the director's commentary. Holy shit! Marty's a genius. Worked on the project 30 fucking years! He read probably 100 books just to develop this one story - not counting the other brilliant films he made in the meantime. Just so damn humbling to hear a master. His script saw probably 10 drafts from countless writers from the inception of the story to the production. The Knucklehead spoke of perspective in a few previous posts. I've never throught of my stories with even a tenth of the depth and dedication that Marty (and I call him Marty because we're that tight) has. After hearing the master's lecture last night, I have two choices. Sit down with everything I've "written" and rethink each character and pour myself into them and let them pour themselves out the way they should be onto the paper......or, take up rock climbing instead. Since I'm afraid of heights....where's my steno book?

Building a Legend

Well, that might be a slight overstatement...but who knows. Either way, this project is finally well underway. I've squared away a narrative structure ( I think), and have cut away all the dead footage. Still need to trim, work in transitions, layer audio, effects, music, sound, titles, format....yada yada yada. Basically all the fun stuff. This is the part I love most. Widdling it down this far can get mundane. Wading through the crap to get to the 90 min of stuff that's worth watching - can actually be like work. But cutting further and shaping into something you'd actaully (hopefully) want to watch, twice even, that's the shit, maine. But here's a funny little clip for dat ass.