On the Horizon

jelewis8 — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 18:17:15 +0000

I woke up today with the distinct impression that I had been productive. It wasn’t entirely illusory, either. I spent a bit more than eight hours on a short film credit sequence “rough”, which I’ll be meeting about today. It looks good. It’s got a Tom Waits vibe, which is hard to describe but easy to imagine. Just think Alice or Innocent When You Dream and you’ll get an idea of the visual feel of the 25 second piece. I like it, which as I’ve said before, is rare. I’ll probably hate it in a few days, of course, which contrariwise happens quite frequently. But the nice thing is this is just a concept piece, something to help the director latch onto something and move forward with new thoughts. Of course, once I’m done and have permission, I’ll post the sequence. I’ve even thought about doing a “how it was made” post some time, though that’s usually as far as those intentions go. Thought’s a lot easier than action.
Speaking of action, this week I’ve had quite a flurry of activity. Got a call yesterday about a script synopsis I had pitched to an agent. This call was from a producer who read and loved the small five page treatment I’d put together, and subsequently we are meeting today to discuss possibilities. I say “possibilities” because in this town, the ground itself is composed of the stuff. Tiny particles, to be sure, but they’re everywhere. Unfortunately, the nebulous nature of possibilities is also a curse. As currency, it’s totally useless, deflated to the point of nausea. But we thrive on the potentiality of it, the hope of something happening. Whatever that something is, we always imagine it to be good. Usually it simply never materializes. Sometimes you get screwed. Very rarely you get a six figure deal out of the “possibility.”
The weather here portends something on the horizon. I don’t know if it’s autumn attempting to worm its way into southern California summer’s imminent domain setup, or if it’s just a vague fluttering of the smog variables, but lately it’s been cloudier and overcast, slightly cooler, and well, fall-like. Nights are positively chilly. I recently found myself driving along a street that had trees–real trees, not the palm trees that masquerade as flora. Believe me, I know the truth about palms. I’m convinced they’re cilia that line the skin surface of some horrifically constructed monster, upon which we’ve paved roads and built skyscrapers and apartment complexes. One of these days, that monster’s going to wake up, and the palm trees will sway like hair reacting to a chill. And then, my friends, it’s all over. Read my book to learn how it all works.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been here a year and three months now. Just a few days ago it was an even year. A few days before that, it was yesterday I had driven in from the east. I realize the distinct chronological difficulties of parsing the last three sentences, but it makes sense in my head, which by all rights should be a punishable offense. Still, I beg your indulgence and thank you for your patronage. See you on the morrow.

Hard Drive Fund

jelewis8 — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 18:53:11 +0000

The faithful laptop gave a croak and took its final breath sometime this morning. Like an old man dying, I knew it was on its last legs. I was sure it would die sometime over vacation, but again, like an old man dying, it surprised me, lasting through the flights back home and a day back in the old manse before giving out.
I lost a bit of stuff, most notably my music collection–thankfully, most of it was ripped from my own cd’s, but there were a number of albums I purchased online. I’m pretty bummed about that. I had my writing backed up, so I can continue to pick and scratch at that tiny trade.
The nice thing is, I should be able to purchase a new hard drive and resurrect it like a monkey paw version of its former self. Without all the painful clanking and scary tension of the story. And since I have always suspected that I inherited huckster genes from some long ago snake oil salesman or televangelist, I am going to try and raise some of the cost of the hard drive right here at Fringe Central. Naturally, there’s no need to feel obligated to donate, but should you still feel a bit of leftover Christmas spirit, click the button below and savour the feeling you get when you buy a seat at the local theatre, or purchase a brick in the pavement of a city restoration project.
Hey, if NPR can do it every year, why not me?

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On the Horizon

Hard Drive Fund

Laptop Hard Drive Fund