"i got a complicated order!"

three words:  BON QUI QUI

have you met her?

x-files @ the paley fest

on march 26, the paley fest at the museum of television and radio did a night dedicated to THE X-FILES. anyone who's known me for more than, like, a day knows this is my favorite show of all time.

below is a clip (yes, recorded from someone's cell or camera but still good nonetheless) of a recap of the series. an x-files "retrospect" if you will.

this show was and is simply amazing.


(*ps - note all the commentary (ooos and ahhs) from the audience...classic!)

OMG - Ja'mie, I heart you!

i love comedy. this comes as no surprise. i am especially fond of the "mockumentary" genre, a style that can best be described as "faux realism." waiting for guffman and the office are two examples of this form of hilarity.

about a year ago, when i was working in comedy development, i was introduced to an australian comedy that capitalized on the mockumentary style and also gave it a new "twist." this twist came in the form of writer/director/performer chris lilley who played ALL 5 main characters himself (both men and women of various ages and backgrounds).

the show was called we can be heroes and followed around 5 "regular" people who were all nominated for the prestigious "australian of the year award." the show explored who they were, why they were nominated, and how they lived their daily lives. pure genius. one of the nominees was a 16-year old girl named Ja'mie (pronounced JA-MAY) who was spotlighted for her charity work and focus on world issues (in one such episode Ja'mie receives a letter and photo from the starving ethiopian girl she's helping and she exclaims to her friends..."oh my god, she looks like Beyonce in this picture...").

Intro of Ja'mie on we can be heroes:

following we can be heroes lilley took the character of Ja'mie and did a spin-off, giving her life beyond the competition and creating even more characters that he himself potrays. this new series, called summer heights high brings Ja'mie to life in a new way, at a new school. and it's JUST as brilliant. not only is Ja'mie just as bitchy and self-absorbed as usual, but we are also introduced to an eccentric drama teacher at the school named Mr. G who uses many "unorthodox" techniques to get his students to experience true drama as well as a troubled youth named Jonah whose harsh language and angsty rebellious attitude make him a riot to watch.

summer heights high TRAILER:

i learned yesterday that summer heights high was recently bought by HBO and added to their 2008 comedy lineup. bold move for HBO but one that could really pay off big if people are able to realize the talent that lilley possesses as a true triple-threat. sure these shows are a bit off-color and not what i'd call "PC" but they accomplish what comedy is designed to do: allow us to laugh at things the world might deem "too serious"...even if only for 30 minutes. laughter as medicine. prescription filled here.

please start watching this.

and quoting this.

and LOVING THIS.

Official sites -->

we can be heroes: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/heroes/

summer heights high: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/summerheightshigh/

once was LOST but now i'm found...

let me preface this blog by saying i'm behind. years behind. but i'm catching up fast. what am i referring to, you may ask? LOST: the television zeitgeist of the now.

when LOST first premiered, i was still in college. i was in the first semester of a hellish senior year (thanks to taking a year off my junior year to try pre-med!) and didn't have time (nor TiVo) to watch what some were calling "the BEST show on television in a long time." who exactly quoted that? i don't know. but i'm sure someone said it at some point. being the huge sci-fi fan that i am, i knew that i'd probably love the show, but as time passed, i had less and less desire to see what i had missed. the hype was SO big that i almost expected it NOT to live up to any of it. (plus, i had the safety of all 9 seasons of THE X-FILES on dvd to keep me company so i wasn't really jones-ing for a new mysterious drama to fill my time in between study sessions).

once i moved out to LA (it now being august of 2005), i was thrust into the hectic world of television development. not only was it my first "real" job, but it was VERY busy. i was working very long hours and, in my spare time, making sure that i was prepared for the next day. my first months out in LA were much like school...and then i got hit upside the head with a little something called "pilot season." pilot season is like a worm hole that you enter if you work in the television industry and don't come out of until may. you seriously disappear from life for about 4 months. worm holes don't have cable or TiVo either.

my buddies reid and dairek and i started writing a pilot of our own some time in 2006 that furthered my curiosity of the show. reid and dairek were HUGE fans and our show was shaping up similarly to LOST in some of the storytelling devices we wanted to employ. i started watching episodes here and there (more for social reasons than that of a true fan) and was very entertained by what i saw. still, i was stubborn. i didn't want to get into the show without starting from square one. back story is everything, especially in a show that's entirely serialized like LOST. there are no real "stand alone" episodes in this series. everything means something.

cut to the here and the now, 2008. a time when i'm finally READY to tackle the beast that is LOST. i was able to borrow the first 2 seasons from a friend and this weekend i attacked season one with voracity. and it was AWESOME. i can truly say that i am now hooked. i was never a snob about the show, deep down not wanting to like it or something just because everyone else did. but i'm glad i'm able to start from the beginning and form my own opinions. that's the way it should be.

what impressed me more about season one than the actual episodes was the genesis of the show. a show that was PICKED UP to series based on nothing but an OUTLINE. a show that was casting without a script, characters being created FOR actors simply because the creators wanted them to be a part of the project. a show that was originally pitched in a one-liner as "Castaway: The Series." a show that started shooting without even knowing if some of the cast had visas. a show with so many crazy variables that it could NOT have been anything but divine intervention.

watching the genesis of the show and the "fairy dust" that was sprinkled on this show in order to make EVERYTHING come together just so made me really emotional. it made me jealous. not jealous of LOST, per se, but hopeful that i, too, may be a part of something so big, so magical, so special, so well-liked, so influential, and so entertaining. it really fueled me to get working on my own projects again. as i look to turning another year older, i realize that i just have to prepare myself for the Lord to swoop in a sprinkle fairy dust on me. the Lord can make ANYTHING happen when the timing's right for HIM. i just have to be ready and willing to fly.

the best film i've seen in a long time

wow. that's really the only word that comes to mind, as arcane and simple as it may seen. it's very rare that a movie effects me so much so that I literally can't stop talking about it. "no country for old men" is one of the most intriguing, edge-of-your-seat rides i've had in a long time. not only is the acting top-notch, the cinemtography breathtaking, and the action intense, but the writing is strange, fresh, and rough around the edges.

javier bardem as our bad guy scared me from the first time he appeared on screen. his intensity was there from moment one and never waivered. josh brolin as the cool, calculated, and curious llewelyn moss was equally interesting to watch. other performaces of note were tommy lee jones (who was made to play this role and who delivers a killer final monologue), garrett dillahunt as the sincere, comedically oblivious deputy wendall, and kelly macdonald as carla jean moss, the simple-spoken southern wife.

most commendable, however, were writer/directors joel and ethan coen. there western take on a "chase film" was riveting to experience. one thing that i really liked was the lack of exposition and explanation. the writing and characters in their present circumstances were enough to sustain us through the film. the characters had no dialogue that "spoon-fed" the audience nor did the dialogue follow conventional theatrically written moments. this dialogue was unique, off-beat, and, often times, too real.

it really says a lot for a film when you leave realizing that there was not ONE SINGLE NOTE OF MUSIC in the entire film. yet, you were just as emotionally connected as ever. i was squinting through open palms at every turn and the long moments of silence only added to the tension. my heart was racing and i was genuinely nervous waiting to see what would happen next. that's a great way to see a film, not just to see it but to fully experience it.

i need to see this again. it's just THAT good.

side note: did you know that the coen brothers also edit most of their own films? the use an alias: Roderick Jaynes

why the blog name change, emoss?

well, friends, frankly i never really liked the name "eyeten entertainment." i loved its symbolism (Interstate-10 being the physical link between my hometown in Louisiana and Los Angeles) but that wasn't enough.

so, from now on, my new arts and entertainment blog will be: THE.SCREEN.EXPERIMENT

start loving on it a little...
::emoss::

Movies I Want to See :: as of Dec.5.07

I'm an avid "trailer watcher" and am constantly finding new films that intrigue me based on these "sales pitch" tools. Below are some trailers of a few films that I'm really interested to see (in no particular order)...

1) JUNO
A comedic yet emotionally poignant story about the pregnancy of a young, quirky high sch0ol girl: Juno. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, and Jason Bateman. Acting/Comedy GOLD.
2) THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
After French Elle's editor has a massive stroke at a young age, he learns to break free from his prison-like body and retreat into his imagination and his memories to find life once again. This looks stellar.
3) 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, and 2 DAYS
In the last days of communist Romania, two college roommates prepare for an illegal abortion that leads them deep down the rabbit hole... Film takes place in a single day. Why do I LOVE foreign film so much!?
4) CLOVERFIELD
JJ Abrams' "The whole movie seen through the "Sony HandyCam" of someone at a party" docu-style Sci-Fi Action Extravaganza.
5) BELLA
A story of true sacrifice and true love. Tammy Blanchard is a great actress and the dude in it is HOT.
6) BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD
Stellar Cast (Ethan Hawke, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney) About two brothers who decide to rob a mom-and-pop jewelry store (run by thier own "mom and pop"). Things go awry. Drama ensues.
7) FUNNY GAMES
A sick and twisted take on the "family being taken hostage" genre.
8) THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Daniel-Day Lewis. Enough Said.
9) FIERCE PEOPLE
When a young teen is denied a trip to study an exotic tribe, he focuses his anthropological studies on the people of his current surroundings:
10) STRANGE WILDERNESS
The end of this trailer makes me laugh so hard I cry. Steve Zhan and Justin Long are great in this. Film follows a group of misguided nature documentarians.
11) SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
Do I even need to say why I want to see this? Ok, here we go: Tim Burton. Johnny Depp. Musical Theater. Bloodiness. Did I say Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Musical Theater already?

More to come very soon...

ONCE again

I'd seen it before. I'd heard the music. I owned the soundtrack. But seeing ONCE, once again, inspired me and took my heart and emotions on a melodic journey through love, loss, and discovery.

All I can say here is that if you haven't seen this brilliant film, please remedy that ASAP (and download the album on itunes!)

Made for a modest $150K and shot on a pro-sumer Panasonic camera, this film proves that great characters, poignant performances, and a beautiful, interesting story outweigh flashy production value every time.

On a sidenote: The two actors, Glen and Marketa, have since formed a band together and are dating in real life. Check them out (esp live, if you can):

THE SWELL SEASON

TERRA FIRMA music video - The Daylights

Check out the new music video I just produced:

TERRA FIRMA by "The Daylights"
Director: BEN GRAYSON
Producer: EMILY MOSS
DP: JONATHAN NICHOLAS
EDITOR: JOHN-MICHAEL POWELL
GAFFER/GRIP/EVERYTHING: JEFF KEITH

Click here to check out the director's cut (and my personal fav version): --> DIRECTOR'S CUT
Click here to check out the YouTube band performance version --> YOUTUBE PERFORMANCE
To check out the band, click here --> THE DAYLIGHTS

the darjeeling UNlimited

a tuesday night in los angeles. normally, for me, that means crusing home from work on the Fox lot up the windy Beverly Glen and over the hill to my quaint 4-plex in Sherman Oaks. do some laundry, maybe. eat a string cheese and sit on the couch and watch some TV. i live a very exciting life. don't be jealous, please.

recently, however, my tuesday night shot just past the excitement of pulling mozerella whisps off string by string as i made plans to meet up with an old friend at la's uber theater, the arclight, to see a screening of Wes Anderson's latest (and arguably greater than Life Aquatic) flick entitled "The Darjeeling Limited." not only that, but following the screening there was a Q&A with none other than Mr. Wes Anderson, Mr. Roman Coppola, and Mr. Adrian Brody. yahtzee!

i arrived at the arclight in a tizzy due to the parking lot i was trying to naviagte through on my way there. la traffic is such a bear. as i was riding down the elevator with some other fellow screening goers, we scoffed at the huge line that had formed outside the theater. apparently, there was also, in addition to the Variety screening we were attending, a PGA screening, a WGA screening, AND another random private screening. needless to say, there were tons of lost people trying to figure out which of the 9000 lines they should be in to get their respective screening tickets. signs, people. just read the signs. it ain't rocket science.

luckily for me, my plus-one had gotten there early and was already in the lobby waiting for me. we chatted, said some friendly "how ARE you-s?" and then made our way to the bar. i sipped on a nice glass of white wine as i surveyed the crowd, partly for famous faces but also just for interesting ones. i was already tired but for some reason i slirpped down that sweet vino nector like it was going our of style. probably not the BEST idea as i was kinda tipsy upon entering the theater and trying to locate my reserved seat. 34W....35W....36W....found her. i parked my booty and sat back and waited for magic to happen.

before the main feature, they played "part 1" of the movie which was a short film shot nearly a year earlier entitled "hotel chevalier." the short starred natalie portman and jason schwartzman as lovers reuniting for one night in fabulous hotel room in france (where schwartzman's character has been living for some time). it's simplie, but (as with everything wes anderson does) beautiful. i really enjoy scenes like this short, one in which there aren't any frills; just two people, talking, interacting, reacting, discovering, loving, laughing, hurting.

after the short, the main feature started. i knew from the very first 20 minutes that wes anderson had once again managed to highten my senses, reveal the vibrancy of a new world, and dissect intricate, broken, unique, and wonderfully flawed characters. if you haven't seen the film, i won't give away too much of the story, but i have to mention the relationship of the three brothers: owen wilson, jason schwartzman, and adrian brody. again, wonderfully flawed characters played by actors who understand the beauty in imperfection. each of the brothers has their own "issues" which are far darker than your average joe's everyday problems. however, it's this journey, this adventure aboard the darjeeling, that brings healing to each of them in very poignant ways. this movie is first and foremost a journey film and, as such, has to show you where they've been for the destination to make any sense at all. it's certainly a fun ride, but one that becomes very emotional, even spiritual at times. i found myself aboard the train with them, riding hopeful in my pastel 2-piece pajamas, learning along with them as they discovered their love for each other and how to battle their inner demons.

another thing i truly love and respect about wes is his visual style. his attention to detail is astounding. his richness of color and texture is bold and risky, but he always makes it work. i love that the place, things, colors, objects are just as much characters and the human beings spouting out lines of dialogue. he truly creates worlds.

i certainly enjoyed the dajeeling limited far more than life aquatic. much more heart and a much "cleaner" story to follow. i can't say where it falls in relation to bottle rocket and rushmore, but it certainly still runs behind tenanbaums. love that film.
after the film was over, i actually found myself in tears. partly because of how moving the film had turned out to be, partly because i had had some wine before the show, and partly because i was wishing that i could makes films like that. i'd say my emotions were about 70% due to the latter. i was both intimidated and inspired, which is how i usually feel when i experience great works of art in any form. i wiped my wet eyes and saddled up to hear the highlight of the night: a panel q & a with wes anderson, adrian brody, and roman coppola...

now, let me just say this once and for all...one of my BIGGEST pet peaves are bad moderators. and, let me tell you, out of all the q & a's i've had the priveledge to attend here in la, almost all of them have been HORRIBLY moderated. unfortunately, tonight would be no different. i knew things were going down hill as soon as the moderator asked wes "so, tell us what it was like to write with roman and owen." to which wes responded, "well, uh, i wrote the script with roman and jason, actually..." it was at that point (like 20 seconds in) that i started getting angry. i was trying so hard to just sit back and enjoy myself but the idiot moderator kept making the dumbest comments and mistakes. i couldn't believe that out of EVERYONE in la, a city stacked 30-deep with actors, performers, etc, that THIS PERSON was who they chose to do this job. ok, so she works for a major publication. she can write...doesn't mean she can interview celebs and moderate a panel. two different things. if you sense hostility it's because it's there. again, i think this mostly stems from the fact that being a celebrity interviewer/moderator is something i would absolutely love to do. it just frustrates me, that's all.

all in all, it was an amazing night. one i won't soon forget. i learned insider things like the fact that wes hadn't initally intended for jason's character to be the same in both "hotel chevalier" and "darjeeling" but decided to bridge the two films a year after shooting the short when he was brainstorming with roman and jason. i'm really lucky to live in a city that presents filmmakers so readily to those looking to be inspired. i hope one day to be speaking on a panel myself.

side/project la

So, there's a new company on the block. It's called Side/Project Entertainment and it's awesome.

This company was started by myself and some fellow TCU alums who all share a passion for making films. The name describes exactly how we got started: doing tons of "side/projects" while we worked our "day jobs" to get paid.

Since forming the company, we have shot 2 music videos and are gearing up for our first short film, THE VALLEY KINGS.

Stay tuned for more from SPE...

STRAIGHTHEADS

Well, as you all know, I'm a huge fan of The X-Files and, consequently, a huge fan of Gillian Anderson. Below is a link to the trailer for her new movie called STRAIGHTHEADS that is to be released sometime in April. Apparently they tried submitting it to the Toronto Film Festival and the response was great, but they didn't get in because they were told it was too "nasty." Not sure what that means, exactly, but it may have something to do with the plot. I'm not sure how explicit the scenes are. (In the movie, Gillian Anderson plays Alice, a woman who gets brutally raped and then desides, with the help of her boyfriend, to take revenge into her own hands.) Not exactly a light-hearted plot, but her performace looks AMAZING, as you will see in the trailer. And, in all fairness, the trailer itself is quite good - makes it look like an exciting movie (which is what a trailer should do!).

Here's a better description of the flm: A couple returning from an exhilarating night of partying and choreographed debauchery in a lavish country house, speed down a wooded and desolate road that catapults them both into a fateful collision and a brutal and unprovoked attack which leaves them both emotionally and physically scarred. An attack that fuels their mission for revenge…

http://straightblog.typepad.com/ - OFFICIAL BLOG

This is the online blog of first-time director Dan Reed, in which he documents the experience of making this movie. It's quite interesting to read--and fun. The trailer is on YOUTUBE (and has gotten very positive reviews) but I'd suggest watching the trailer on the above site for better quality (scroll down the page and you'll see the little "screen" where you can play the trailer). There's are also other fun videos throughout the blog.

ENJOY.

U-S-C-ya later

aight. so, last night i hit I-10 after a long day at the studio and made the trek to downtown l-a-zy. i was heading, for my first time ever, to usc's campus...a place that i've envisioned and dreamed about for a long time. ever since i had an inkling that i wanted to make movies i thought for sure that i would go to either usc or nyu. it just made sense to me. well, needless to say, i didn't go to usc...or nyu. i made a nice 4-year-home for myself in fw, texas and actually had an amazing college experience.

ever since i graduated a year ago, i've been wrestling with whether or not i wanted to go back to school - grad school...no, not just grad school: FILM school. i'm a school person. plain and simple. and since moving out here (and away from the collegiate environment) i've felt...well, let's just say DUMB for lack of a more intellectual word (because, see, i'm dumb now so...yeah...you get it...)
anyway, last night as i was driving to usc, i prayed that jesus would give me a clear answer when i got there. if i am supposed to go back to film school, let me know it the moment i get on campus. if i'm not, then i want to know that, too.

well, i'm not going to go into ALL the juicy details except to say that jesus answers prayers. i know that what i was exposed to last night was probably not at all what usc film school is actually like, but it's what jesus wanted to me see to make my decision. and i've concluded i don't want to go. i'm sure if i were meant to see something that were going to compel me to go to grad school, i would have walked into a sound stage where they were shooting on 35mm and lighting with cool rigs. instead, all i was exposed to was a shoot that basically consisted of "ok, go" (meaning the camera was shooting), single takes, no lighting, no boom mic, no real care in the world to make it a legit project. that's what i saw, and that's what i needed to see.

i think that's how jesus works. he knows what we need and gives it to us. if someone wrestling with my very same question last night (whether or not to go to film school) were to have prayed to jesus for an answer and jesus knew that that person DID need to go to film school, that person would have been shown what they needed to see to make that decision. it's so sweet how jesus knows us each so personally that he makes things special...just for us.

u-s-C-YA-LATER

(ps - this post is in no way a reflection of how i feel about usc or film school in general. to be honest, i still want to go. i think jesus knew if he had shown me the big stages, awesome cameras, and creative experimental environment that i probably would have signed up for classes last night.)

i'm excited that a lot of my ole film pals from tcu are coming out to la. i have missed their energy, passion, humor, and company so much. our group really has something special, a little like zoetrope in its early days in san francisco. i know we will do big things. we just love filmmaking that much.

My favorite French Man

I heart Michel Gondry.

Get excited about his new flick. Check her out -->

no day but today

1 year
12 months
52 weeks
365 days
8760 hours
525, 600 minutes
31,536,000 seconds

How do you measure a year in the life? Is it in a moment? Is it in a song, a laugh, a smile, a memory, a kiss?

When you realize that time is running out, how will you choose to live your last moments here on Earth? That seems like a pretty loaded question and one that, I imagine, requires pause for thought. What probably requires even more thought is realizing the fact that the majority of us won't even get the luxury of actually knowing when we're going to die. We'll either go in our sleep or, God forbid, in some accident that we never saw coming and then what? We won't have time to make that list of "all the things I want to do before I die." It'll be too late. It's a scary thought, right? No, not the thought of dying - I'm talking about the thought of not really living. That's what scares me most of all.

Tonight I watched a 2 hour documentary about actor/writer/composer Jonathan Larson, the genius behind the Broadway musical sensation RENT. For those of you who aren't familiar with Jonathan's story, it's one that I'll argue is even more touching and inspiring than that of RENT itself. As I listened to Jonathan's friends and family talk about his passion and his determination, I couldn't help but be moved. Jonathan knew that he was going to do it; he was going to revolutionize Broadway and the way the world viewed musical theatre. Not only did he succeeded creatively, but RENT's social impact was equally as impressive. Set in the late 80s at a time when the AIDS epidemic was sweeping across America, RENT chronicles a year in the lives of a group of artist friends in lower east side NYC and documents their struggles with disease, homelessness, love, and loss. Even in a one sentence description of the show, you can get a sense of the immenseness of the issues that RENT aimed to explore. Today, RENT boasts worldwide acclaim and has gone on to become one of the most successful shows, both domestically and internationally, of all time. It struck a chord with the people. They saw themselves in these characters and could relate to the human drama that Jonathan had so poignantly told through song. Sadly, Jonathan himself was never able to revel in the glory of the show's success. On the night of the final dress rehearsal, Jonathan died alone in his apartment of an ruptured aorta at age 35 - less than 24 hours away from seeing the musical he had spent over 7 years creating perform its first show. The irony and eerie timing of Jonathan's death rocked the theatre community and, as you can imagine, the cast who were scheduled to open that night. They decided to honor his memory by performing the show as Jonathan would have wanted, his dad reminding everyone through tears that "the show must go on."

I was so touched by how much of himself this man poured into his work and how dedicated he was to creating something he felt that he had to do. I think that's what separates the greats from the ordinary - the feeling of knowing they're going to do something great or big with their lives and not making any excuses for it. This man's entire life revolved around the theatre - around writing music and creating stories that he felt in his soul he needed to tell. As an aspiring filmmaker, I can only hope to embody half of what Jonathan did and make some fraction of the impact on the cinema that Jonathan did to the world of musical theatre.

If you haven't seen RENT live on stage, I charge you to do so. You won't be able to leave the theatre without being moved or rocked or changed in some way; I don't care who you are. If you aren't able to see it on stage, the new movie does a pretty good job of conveying the emotion, although I might argue that buying the original 1996 cast recording on CD would be just as good. The best thing about buying the DVD is, in my opinion, this beautiful tribute documentary to Jonathan and his creation. His personal story is riveting and so emotionally compelling.

I want to make a movie about Jonathan Larson's life. Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. Anybody want to help? There is so much raw drama in the truth of his life that I don't think I could write anything better than what actually happened. He lived life just like the characters he created in RENT, knowing that we only have this moment, right here, right now. There's no day but today.

Thank you, Jonathan, for your contribution to the theatre and to all artists out there like me who want so badly to do something big.

Grounded

My parents never really punished me as a child - I guess I was just that good. (halo *wink*) But I'm here to announce that @ age 23 after one very special Sunday night in Los Angeles I can officially say that I've been "Grounded."

I've always been interested in being a performer for as long as I can remember. I still have the pictures of the time I donned two braided pigtails and drew freckles on my cheeks and sang "You Get A Line" (a song about fishing in a crawfish hole ) for the 2nd grade parents at a PTA meeting. (ps - only in Louisiana would this even happen)

I was an unstoppable showbiz phenom even then.

What followed were many years on the stage, a place where I felt very comfortable. From OLIVER TWIST to Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM I jumped at any and every chance I had to be in front front of an audience. In high school I had to quit our community theatre so that I could devote more time to competitive acting. I traveled from school to school competing in tournaments in the events of humorous interpretation and duet acting. These victories were more personal, as most of the time I was performing for 10 minutes all on my own for a panel of judges. What a rush. In college performing took a little bit of a back seat to my major in Radio-TV-Film production due to the long hours I would have to spend in the studio or editing bay. I did, however, still find time to act and was glad to complete a minor in Theatre when it was all said and done. Cut to present day - Living in Los Angeles and working in Television. Sounds right up my alley, right? I've definitely learned a lot here, but I think the thing I've learned the most is that I don't want to be here anymore. And that's what brings me to Sunday night - the night that it became more evident to me than ever that I have to get out from behind this desk.

Here's what went down...

Two friends and I went to see a GROUNDLINGS show at their theatre on Melrose. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with what the Groundlings are (or what a groundling is) I will kindly provide you with two different definitions:

A GROUNDLING (noun):
1) a poor person in Shakespeare's time who would pay one penny (which was nearly an entire day's wage) to stand in the area in front of the stage (aka "the pit") to watch the plays
2) a wickedly awesome improv comedy troupe that has bred some of the finest showmen (and showladies) of our time, including Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman, Lisa Kudrow, and Conan O'Brian (just to name a few)

I am, of course, referring to the latter of the two defs.

I sat there watching the show on Sunday and I was both inspired and a bit saddened. Okay, maybe not "saddened" but definitely jealous. Jealousy's a sin, I know I know. But it was the good kind of jealousy (spoken like a true crackhead...but crack's good for you, mom). Really. I was jealous of the smiles that they were putting on people's faces. As the show went on, I wanted so badly to be up there with them - creating characters, using wit, and evoking laughter. I think that's one of my most favorite things to do in the entire world - make people laugh. I just can't get enough! Now before you go and judge me on my "sense of humor" (reading this blog and thinking to yourself "her blog's not that funny...i bet she's not that funny either) just SHUT IT. I never said that I was a comic genius with impeccable timing and an unending wealth of jokery. I just like to make people laugh. End of story. Mary Kate and Ashley, blog audiences are hard to please!

So, I've decided that I am going to try my hand at improv comedy. That's right, kids. Momma's workin hard for her money, so hard for it honey. I do it anyway without an audience, so I figure why not add legions of adoring fans? And I'm not gonna front, the classes be expensive, girl! But that won't stop me cause I'm pretty sure that Jesus is a Groundling alumni so he can probably find a way to get me in. Hey, it's all about who you know in this business.

the play's the thing

I believe Bill Shakespeare when he told the world that it was a stage. The older I get the more I realize that his thoughts, unlike his initials, were not BS at all. I try to look at the world through his words, treating everyone I meet (man or woman) as an actor, a “player,” if you will. (PS – and in Los Angeles that’s not at all hard to do considering that most people actually are actors). Ponder, for a moment, this treat-let from AS YOU LIKE IT:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,

I learned to recite this passage (actually, the passage in its entirety) at the ripe old age of, oh, let’s say 12. I even made the aforementioned my “senior quote” in the high school yearbook, so you know it’s been floating around on and off in my head for quite some time. The words are fairly simple, but the idea is pretty big stuff. “And one man in his time plays many parts” – that says a lot to me. What, you may ask? Lemme ‘splain…

In short: this passage, to me, takes a lot of pressure off of livin.’ Really. If all that this world amounts to is one giant stage on which we, through our lifetime, will play MANY parts, then I better get to some auditions fast! It’s all just one big show. The curtain rises at our birth and falls at our death and there’s a brief intermission somewhere there in the middle that for each of us is different. Some people consider their intermission a mid-life crisis. They come back to the theatre after going to pee and they’ve got a new sports car. Others take their intermission a little later, after retirement, using it as a time to “go outside and get some fresh air.”

Now let me clear up one thing real quick: the “many parts” bit doesn’t mean that we are all going around playing “characters,” per se. These “parts” that Bill (and I) speak of here are the natural progressions of who we are (or become) at different stages in our lives, mostly thanks to natural aging and/or the experiences we have along the way. These are parts we are "type cast" for, not the long shots.

I do agree that there are, though, definitely times where the costumes we don or the lines that we read are not entirely of our own choosing. Sometimes we even try to steal the limelight, knowing full and well that it's not our time to have the lead but wanting it so badly we can taste it. And sometimes we do forget that we're playing a part and get so wrapped up in it that we forget who we are outside of the theatre doors. But it makes sense that if the audience loves it, you’ll milk whatever character you can for all it’s worth. That's why I think some people are so unhappy. They start making a lot of money or start gaining some sort of fame and they feel like the only way to stay on the up is to play that character, whoever he or she is, for as long as they can. Some people just refuse to "grow up" or "move on" to the next Act. You've just got to. It's all metaphorical really and I'm sure that my thoughts here are not coming across as coherent and cohesive as I would have hoped. I'm forgetting my lines...

I always like to play the lead, I know that for sure. I'm very aware of what play I'm in at all times. Right now, for instance, I'm in a show that's sweeping the Great White Way entitled Chained to a Desk: The Assistant's Story. It's a real tear-jerker filled with monster diva ballads like "My Eyes Burn from this Computer" and "Papercut: Infection." You should get tix.

I guess I'm more rambling now, as my mind is being diverted. My director is yelling something to me from offstage. I better take my bow soon.

At any rate, next time you get a chance to stop and look around you just think about what old Bill said. Who's show are you watching? Or, perhaps more importantly, what part are you playing in it?

the art of the unseen

Tonight I went to a movie that got me thinking: the imagination is a crazy thing. Allow me to explain...

I went to see HARD CANDY, the movie about a 14 yrd old girl who meets up with a 32 yr old dude she befriends and flirts with in an online chatroom. Sounds like a lovely bedtime story, right? I can't really give anymore of the plot away, but I can tell you that things definitley go THRILLER on you! Well, anywho, the movie did make me think but not really at all about the disturbing subject matter. My mind pondered the way the movie was shot. It essentially takes places in one location, with 2 actors, in real time- not exactly the best formula for a thriller. But the movie WAS thrilling. How'd they pull that off? Well, the writing was pretty good and the acting was spot on but it was the directing and editing that made it a success. The director chose to shoot and edit the film using an age-old technique that would make even Alfred Hitchcock proud. Instead of showing the audience EVERYTHING, this movie left you to imagine what you WOULD see if you could. Why show us the monster when it's going to be 10x scarier in our minds? Here's where M. Night Shyamalan failed in SIGNS - he showed us the alien. Bad move, man. HARD CANDY capitalized on this technique and kept making you think you were about to see something bad or gross or disturbing but would never actually go there. You'd be teased, for sure, but were never allowed to see the "scary" parts of the film (although you saw them all too vividly in your own head).

So, this is just a note to all you filmmakers out there (ok, more like to myself): the imagination is a powerful thing. Don't underestimate it. Use it to your advantage. Your audience can make your movie so much better just by what their own imagination can bring to your film.

Cheers.

carpe diem

It only happens to me every once and a while but when it does, I become changed. About a week ago, I was sitting at my desk and had a total revelatory moment. Why have I allowed myself to wallow in something that I have the power to change? It was very Dead Poet's Society, sitting there having the desire to stand up on top of my desk and scream SEIZE THE DAY!

The basic epiphany boiled down to this: There's no reason to be unhappy if you don't have to be. With that simple thought, I made a decision that, while not easy, was right and true and honest. I'm still in the middle of figuring out the logistics of how to bring change into my life, but at least I know that where I'm going is a place of passion.

So, for all your artists out there, or anyone who feels trapped for that matter, I charge you to make a change. God has his hand in all of this so who are we to worry about what is to come? He knows our hearts more intimately than we do and He will protect us if we seek Him first and answer to our calling - whatever that may be.

I created this blog in order to make a public declaration that I am committed to following my true passions and loves, doing everything in love and trusting God's plan for me.

If you're worried that every post will be this heavy and deep, don't. I just had to get that out there. This is a place where, as my heading states, I will discuss all things artsy - from movies, to tv, to photography, to books and mags (yes, even Us Weekly). It's a commentary on creation in all forms.