Steve Nash & Maggie

Eat Your Heart Out Camera Test

Specialty camera, it's like shooting on 70mm film. Not sure why so many people consider this the standard over the 7D with its APS-C sensor that's more of the equivalent of 35mm film. 5D not good for shooting a handheld film that's naturally lit on f1.8-4 with the operator racking focus and getting a depth of field quality that isn't distracting and inappropriate. The low light capabilities aren't that much better either. Going with the Canon 7D. I guess when USC made us shoot on 16mm film with prime lenses the whole time, it really paid off. I'm actually excited to make, print and laminate depth of the field charts now :D

Sunday

I could eat this everyday if I was alone. Whole wheat penne, tomatoes, green and yellow peppers, olives, basil, oregano, olive oil, parmesan cheese and Italian turkey sausages. Somehow, it's considered healthy too, crazy.

Get It

I found a framed print of William Blake's "Ancient of Days" on allposters.com for sale and of course, it was expensive and unnecessary. Seeing as how I don't really live anywhere right now, I decided to put it on hold-- until I remembered that Costco makes incredible prints, 11x14 for $2.99, I looked online and found a huge jpeg of this watercolor with perfect detail.

So I tried it. Sent it to Costco online, paid $2.99 for an 11x14, found an old frame from high school, took out the old, corny teenage photo, and...

Sometimes things work out :)

Be

I read parts of Uta Hagen's A Challenge For The Actor today, in hopes that previously unattainable ideas would formulate in my head regarding the numbing duty in filmmaking known as directing the actors. I'm starting to believe that seventy-five percent of the work is done in casting, which is why I'm approaching these auditions with the same effort and seriousness as production. Yes, I've heard that in school. I have to believe it myself to believe it though, and I'm finally achieving that through practice.

Last week was surprisingly draining for me. We only went through seven actresses, but each one required attention, my opinion, and some sort of cooperation on my part to ensure I was getting the best possible performance given the circumstance. Tomorrow, I will be seeing eighteen.

See, it's one thing when an actress shows up and immediately, she doesn't look the part. The pressure is slightly off and I just have to sit and go through the motions, knowing she doesn't have a chance. It sucks for her, but it's fair. It's what she signed up by being an actress. However, when one comes in and her looks don't disqualify her, then the pressure is on. I immediately visualize her in the role, and before she utters her first line, I see it in my head already-- how she should sound, how she should behave, everything. Obviously thus far, no one has auditioned and matched what was playing in my head on the first go around, so from there, I have to figure out if it's her talent or her interpretation that's causing this. Most of the time, I give the benefit of the doubt that it's her interpretation, but most of the time, we're just off. Maybe she isn't a bad actress, but she isn't the right one for the role.

Uta mentions that one needs to be aware of "vain and egocentric actors who enjoy displaying themselves, trading on those characteristics that they believe would appeal to the audience, regardless of the role and the circumstances of the play". This was definitely something I saw last week, but couldn't put it in words. There is performing, and then there's being. I need someone who can be Cecilia, not play Cecilia. It always felt like she was trying to communicate to me rather than to Jeff, or Gilbert. Immediately, I become aware of this, and it isn't believable. If she forgot every person in the room other than Jeff, and spoke to him in a tone and a volume that made Jeff believe she wasn't thinking about anyone else other than him and what she was saying to him, automatically, it'll communicate to the audience. It's a movie. We're eavesdropping, that's the whole point. All the actresses didn't achieve this, but I didn't understand this concept well enough to communicate it to them.

I hope tomorrow I will be more prepared, and with a little luck, we can start this thing.

Odilon Redon - The Cyclops

FUCKLEBRON.COM

One day, when I am mentally free, I will write my piece about Lebron to sum up what I've been saying-- sometimes screaming, since 2004. You can't be fooled by the surface or the hype. It was clear from the beginning.

A Beautiful Piece of History From the Secret Truth of Our Planet

Tarot Maconnique

Zorba found this unbelievable French, out of print Tarot deck at an obscure botanica in Westlake by MacArthur park today. We both couldn't believe what we saw. Masonic tarot deck from 1849 by Jean Bouchard. More than fifty years before the Rider-Waite and Aleister Crowley decks. Tarot and Freemasonry both came into existence in the late 14th century around the same area of the world. Everything is so blatantly there. Slowly peeling the infinite onion...

∆ ∞ ∆

So tired of walking from Union Station to 7th and Grand. It's only about four miles round trip but I don't think I've ever followed an exercise routine for this long. It's not so much a physical thing as much an exhaustion of my senses. There are no more routes left to explore; no more interesting smells from the Grand Central Market. I'm sick of walking through the film crews on Spring, rationalizing my uneasiness and trying to forget that I feel more comfortable walking down Broadway with all the trash poverty destitute crazies than I do walking by a Panavision camera nowadays. I can't help but get annoyed and be intimidated because I can't believe they're shooting yet another piece of shit for TV and I'm still working on my script on the train as I go into work everyday. But that's not the mentality, right? Soon enough, I'll get mine. I just have to earn it, and that's what this process is.

EYHO is going through rewrites everyday. Just received notes from my friend Arvin Chen, which I must take into serious consideration, especially since I just saw pictures of the DVD box set that's being released of Au Revoir Taipei, his first feature he made overseas. Basically, he knows what he's talking about. I've never dissected and revised something I've written to this extent. I hope it's for the good, and that I'm not intellectualizing my storytelling instincts that created the initial story. Casting again this weekend. Still need revisions for the audition sides. Katie going in for her interview today. Just a lot of things and things...

Cecilia, You're Breaking My Heart

First day of auditions today. Kavan found a small theatre near Sunset and we rented it out for four hours. So far, I've received 190 submissions for Cecilia-- I contacted 18 with maybe 18 to email for next week. I completely forgot it was July 4th weekend, but seven managed to come in yesterday.

1. It was a wonderful dynamic having a working crew of Katie, James, Kavan and Jeff. Never would have imagined but turned out great. Deejay had work today too, so more help is on the way.

2. I have more respect for actors. Must be so hard to come in and for some, really put yourself out there. It's almost embarrassing-- to meet someone and immediately try to show them your abilities of which you are banking on to chase a dream because really, for most of them and most us-- anyone doing anything in the entertainment industry, we're dreaming.

3. I love working with actors. I used to be afraid of it but being older now and having a better understanding of our respective roles, I am less afraid to ask for more.

4. The Griddle in LA is the best breakfast/lunch ever. But everyone in LA already knows that.

5. No Cecilia. Every actress can play something, and can play pieces of this role specifically, but no one blew me away. Maybe one or two call backs. Hopefully next week also goes well. Feeling better about the process though, which is great. I've got a good group getting my back. Feel like we can do anything.

Third Draft

Hoping for good things to come to my head today, despite the distractions and general depressed mood.

Can't Stop Brooding; Obsessing...

What went on on this planet? What is going on on this planet?