A Kick in the Butt CAN be Good!

Had coffee today in downtown Silver Spring with fellow filmmaker/blogger/distributor/everything Sujewa Ekanayake, down from Brooklyn NYC. When it comes to ultra low budget filmmaking in just about every aspect, he's your man. I have his site listed on the side of this blog, "DIY Filmmaker Sujewa"a site, you should check out whenever you get a chance.

We first met when he was living in the area a couple of years ago and have stayed in touch ever since. Every time I meet with him, I get pumped up about the small, truly independent filmmaker/business.

He's got a lot of great ideas and just some good insight into making this level of filmmaking work. It's great to bounce ideas back and forth and he always makes me feel like, "Damn... I know I do a lot already, but I have to do more!"

So that in mind, keep a look out here and at, Triple Sticks Productions for some news over the next week or so. I've felt the kick in the butt, now I'm going to do some major work!

Back Home

Well I am back from LA and look what was in the mail!

A 4th place finish in the SkyFest II festival for my new screenplay. OK so I didn't win it, but the project, "Student's Teacher," did win something and it has given me a little hope to send it out to a couple of other fests.

So Los Angeles was wild! It was non-stop from the time I landed, on my birthday the September 14th, through my flight back on Friday. I think I had at least two meetings a day, some times more!

I learned so much about "the business" out West and how you become a player for "real" in their world. Hopefully some of the lessons I learned will help me in the future. Now I'm not one to do a lot of name dropping, but I want to send out a special thanks to the folks at Warner Brothers, TNT, and HBO for giving me some of the best career advice I've ever had!

While I was on the Left Coast, I did get to do some fun things, including eating at a couple of my favorite hot spots and catching up with fellow Memphis Filmmaker Tony Flessas.

I've mentioned him before and right now he's living the dream! He's taking a shot and no matter what, you've always got to respect that. I hung out with him and his producing partner, "Bogey" in North Hollywood for a late lunch/early dinner.

When it was all said and done and I returned home, wouldn't you know it, my cable was down, they can't come and fix it for 4 days and half of the things that I had set to be recorded on my DVR... not recorded. Nothing like being hit in the mouth with reality right off the bat!

Can You Tell Where I Am? lol

Out and about writing today, so life is good. In addition to some touch up work on a couple of things, still working on a couple of scripts, may even go back to one I wrote a while back that I've been slowly updating and making more current. I love the idea, it's a comedy and I think pretty funny, but you never really know until it's read out loud and hopefully made! I can remember the last two scripts I wrote and worked on... the first time they were read aloud with the cast was very exciting and powerful. Both were really funny, still we tweaked things right up to the shooting as well, the life of a script. But that first read... the emotions and excitement behind it, it's hard to beat.

Now those of you who follow my blog, know I always respect anyone who gets a film made, it's a huge accomplishment. That goes for the big folks as well and Quentin Tarantino is back in the mix with his new flick, "Inglourious Basterds." Now I saw him on Letterman the other night talk about the film and what he was hoping to do with it, essentially throw his hat in the old time genre of a group of guys going on a mission during World War II, ala the "Dirty Dozen." I've also seen both Brad Pitt and Mike Myers talk positively about the film as well, but to be fair, they're both in it and helping to feed the publicity machine.

However to me and this is just one person's opinion... I don't think it's his "Masterpiece." Some of the performances are outstanding, namely Christopher Waltz as "Hans" and Pitt as "Aldo Raine." There is no mistaking the look and feel of a Tarantino film and it's all there in this one as well, but for me the film is entirely too long and slow in some places. It misses it's mark about being one of those "Guys on a mission" film because it leaves the mission for a huge part of the film and almost has a separate storyline that takes away from the overall idea of the film.

I am also tired of Tarantino using graphic images of violence just for shock value and there are a lot of these in the film. I get that's his thing and he wants to take those 70s kind genres that weren't allowed to be as graphic and make them up-to-date and graphic now, but you don't always need it.

A lot of folks like the film, it was number one in the box office after the first weekend, but I suspect this will be one of those films that will be enhanced by the DVD with extras and more insight into what Tarantino was thinking about when making the film and what he was trying to do.

As a stand alone film right now however, it's good, but not great and maybe not even worth seeing on the big screen, but on a big screen television instead.

Off To The Mobile Office!

It's been a hot second since I sat down and blogged so I wanted to throw up something so you all knew what's been going on and to just check in.

Right now I'm still tweaking and fiddling with scripts, both spec and the finished one. Also starting to play around with a couple of new ideas, we'll see how that all works out.

I've also been trying to watch a lot different things and get into the head of some other filmmakers. One of the best parts about DVDs for me are the extras. I love seeing the process that the filmmakers go through getting their projects to the screen.

Speaking of filmmakers, a friend of mine known to the world as Westland Armitage just finished his new short, "Trojans," take a look at it when you get a chance. He has a unique vision but more importantly, he continues to make films because of his love for the art and anyone who does that, you know gets my respect 24/7 365(6).

OK time to do some work, feeling a little funky today, but hopefully that will go away after a good session of writing and maybe a movie or two.

Filmmakers Share A Moment At SilverDocs

Filmmakers M. David Lee III on the left and Murray Fredericks on the right. Fredericks has a brilliant film at SilverDocs this year called, "SALT" You can also check out his photography at www.murrayfredericks.com.au

It's always hard for docs to get screen time especially shorts, but SilverDocs does a great job with their festival. In addition to "Salt," which I can't tell you enough how good it is there were a couple others on the shorts fest that stood out as well: "POCKETS," by James Lee, no relations and "POSTE RESTANTE " by Marcel Lozinski.

Supporting Indie Film

Hanging at SilverDocs, checking out the shorts program and showing my support to my fellow Indie filmmakers.

Plus it's a great excuse to see anything at the main theater of AFI.

Lunch With A Pro

Had lunch on Friday with a fellow filmmaker who I met and actually worked with in Memphis, who is now living in NYC working in the industry, Lisa Kiesel. She's working on a documentary with some folks in the Virginia area and also doing some work for AFI. She stopped into town and we caught up on old times and talked... argued... well constructively discussed her project.

I won't go into it too much because they're still working on the doc and until they're ready to discuss it publicly I will always respect their wishes, but I will say it's an interesting subject.

It was good to talk film with Lisa and for some reason she gets a kick out of debating issues with me when it comes to film. I think she actually likes to call it more torture than anything, but it's still fun nonetheless.

Keep an eye out for her, she's got good ideas and if her and her partners pull this off, it could be a very interesting film! I'll pass along more info about it when I get it.

Dinner Meeting with the "DIY" Man!

Just finished up a meeting with Sujewa Ekanayake, he writes the blog, DIY Filmmaker Sujewa. It's a great blog dealing with filmmaking. It has a little bit of everything from thoughts on big budget films to info on small independent films.

I wanted to touch base with him and meet him, because I think what he does is so valuable to independent filmmakers all over and his blog will give those of us trying to "make it," a different take on filmmaking in general.

We got together at Mayorga Coffee Cafe in Silver Spring and talked for about an hour and half about all sorts of topics. As we continue to distribute, "Slow Down... You're Dating Too Fast!" he gave me some really great ideas on how to get it out there for more people to people to see.

Now don't think he's just a blogger, he's an accomplished filmmaker himself and when you got to his site you'll see. He's a doer... someone living out his dream and that is always cool.