Only 3 films away from the first milestone. Considering that I'm currently revising a manuscript while prepping for a photo shoot, which will provide three book covers / three book trailers, that's not too shabby.
First of all - just wanted to say I am having a BALL doing this challenge. The only thing that takes the bloom from this rose: when I heard about it, my first thought was how much my dog Xena would approve of my participation, since it would give us a lot of snuggle time on the couch.
But life had different plans for us, and Xena passed away on Jan. 6th, before I had been able to watch even one film for this challenge. At first I couldn't even sit in my regular spot on the couch without her curled up with me.
Over the past 11 years, we have watched a lot of films together. So I dedicate this entire Movie Madness Challenge to her.
Here is my code for the films:
New to me - N Repeat viewing - R
I'll also be including how I viewed the films:
DVD VHS (yes, we have a lot of those, and a VCR) Pay TV In theatre
Here's a brief update on what I've been up to lately:
1 - A mere 15 years after graduating from film school, a brainstorming session at last year's writer's retreat led to a producer approaching me with the offer to work together. This producer is also a writer from my writers' group, and we really connected during that brainstorming session.
So it really is true about networking. You never know when you're going to meet up with the right person.
2 - I finally finished my vampire novel just before last November's NaNoWriMo, and sent it out to readers for feedback. My producer suggested we shoot a book trailer for this story as our first project together.
3 - In the fifteen-year gap between film school and this shoot, I'd worked sporadically on several projects, with the last job being about 8 years ago. I had to lay it out for the producer and director of photography (the DOP) that I was technically behind the times and would be very 'layman's terms'. Luckily, they were both very cool with that.
4 - My producer arranged a meeting between myself and the DOP. I was very nervous.
He was 21. He was apparently very nervous. But we were of course too cool to show it. He was not put off by my utter lack of techno-savvy. I was not put off by his being 21.
5 - I wrote the script for the two-minute trailer. It was four pages long.
In film/TV, one page = one minute. The script was two pages too long.
My producer pared it down to a workable two minutes. I approved the changes, and we were good to go.
6 - I drew horrible storyboards which are par for the course, unless you hire a storyboard artist.The producer and DOP approved them.
7 - The producer sent the cast requirements out to a casting agent, who found me three perfect actors for the lead roles.
8 - I looked over three costuming sites and chose Iron Age tunics and a woman's gown from the lowest-priced site.
9 - I got the measurements for the actors and headed out to Frenchy's, Value Village and Salvation Army for used clothing to remake into costumes.
My mom then set to work refashioning scarves, belts and skirts into Iron Age clothing.
10 - I met with the actors for a script read-through and rehearsal. It was thrilling to see these actors - even at a distance I knew which ones were which characters. SO, so thrilling to see my characters come to life right in front of me.
11 - I turned and saw a wonderful sight during that first rehearsal. My producer's eyes shone with excitement because she'd gotten chills from one of the scenes. We could feel that elusive magical thing happening.
12 - Shooting day arrived, and a very long, exhausting 9 hours later the footage was shot.
Exhausting, yes - it took me 4 days to recover from the shoot - but that one day gave me my life back. I have rarely experienced happiness quite that intense.
13 - This week I'll finally be seeing the footage, and next week I'll be working with my editor.
Stay tuned to A Piece of My Mind for more making-of book trailer updates.
When I was little, we had this album cover and I used to stare at it, with its multiple images of Elvis and the proclamation: "50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong."
It's so iconic that anyone who wears anything gold lame is referencing this suit. To me, it's the ultimate in establishing that personal brand.
Geraldine over at My Poetic Path has a monthly prompt inspired by film titles.
"I’ve always been intrigued by movie titles," she writes. "Obviously, Hollywood and other film-makers work hard to weave their magic with the teaser that is the title. But what other roads could be explored with that very same phrase or word?"
This is actually a movie I haven't seen. There are a lot of those, which tends to confuse people who know that I went to film school. I wrote about this phenomenon over at my group blog, Popculturedivas:
It Could Happen to You follows the story of a Queens, New York cop (Nicolas Cage) who tips a diner waitress (Bridget Fonda) with the promise of half his lottery winnings - which turns out to be $4,000,000.00.
Could happen.
For Through the Opera Glasses today, I thought I'd take Geraldine's prompt and share with you some favorite TV shows and films that put my kind of quirky twist on the premise: It could happen to you...
It could happen to you...you're sent to live in the British countryside during the Blitz, and a game of hide-and-seek finds you hiding in a wardrobe that empties out into a land called Narnia. And the first person that you meet is a faun carrying an umbrella and an assortment of packages.
It could happen to you...your boss sends you to a small coastal Scottish town to convince the residents to sell out for Houston oil interests, and oh yes, to watch the sky for a comet which the boss wants named for himself. And a hot marine research scientist seems not only interested in you, but may be a mermaid.
It could happen to you...a respectable fruit and vegetable retailer should be able to find love in the Big City, but your heart belongs to the mermaid who saved you from drowning when you were a kid. And the naked woman who shows up at the Statue of Liberty reminds you of that haunting connection you once felt, but isn't this woman an obvious human, a frustrating one that you discover you finally can't live without?
It could happen to you...one night your trip home from downtown gets sidetracked, until you are seriously caught in the surreal zone between the last train and the first one for the next day. Will anything ever resemble normality again?
It could happen to you...you waitress in the diner of your small Louisiana town, trying not to hear the thoughts in other people's minds - because you're a telepath. Finally the most attractive man you've ever met enters the diner. You can't hear a thought from him at all. Because he's a vampire...who could ask for a more perfect boyfriend?
It could happen to you...your mysterious music teacher suddenly reveals himself when you show interest in a former suitor. Not only is your mentor irresistably hot, but he's also a homicidal stalker who retreats to his wind-up monkey music box when he gets upset.
It could happen to you...you seek the counsel of an old woman whom you've been told can get your unfaithful wife to return to you. When she casts a spell, you can see the sudden raid on her apartment by shapeshifters and officials arresting her for unauthorized use of magic. You discover you're a Light Other, and go to work for a secret service organization dedicated to watching over the activities of the Dark Others in an uneasy Cold War-like truce.
It could happen to you...you packpack across the Yorkshire moors with your college buddy, stumbling upon the creepiest pub in all of England. A nightmarish attack by a werewolf turns out not to be a nightmare at all, and your romantic chances with the hot nurse who tended you in hospital get seriously jeopardized every time the moon comes out.
It could happen to you...you find things heating up between yourself and a former fellow journalist, but you've hit on a monster story about British spy shop MI-5 and have to follow it. Arms-length objectivity flies out the window when you're pulled into a deadly hostage situation at a TV station and you end up working alongside MI-5 agents to sort things out. Why report on the news when you can make the stories that must be covered up yourself?
It could happen to you...you can't remember who you are or why high-powered killers are after you. Or why you are capable of dispatching an attacker with your bare hands. Or why these killers appear to be government officials.
Jennifer Leeland says I love the Bourne movies. Love them. Like candy.
Apprentice Writer says Julia! An astonishing thing happened. I saw 'Night Watch' at the library and CHECKED IT OUT! Even though it has fangs on the cover.
Shelley Munro says I'm a Bourne fan as well. There were some others here that looked interesting. :)
Champion of the Arts - I write historical and paranormal fiction, as well as poetry. I love to showcase creative works by artists of all stripes. Blogging from Nova Scotia, Canada
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