Ahhhhhh, I am beginning to feel some serenity. Scott has returned and I am no longer minding the store. The hours were mad crazy, but the pay was decent, so the Ross is content. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around the idea of having semi-steady income again. Being a freelancer, money comes, and money goes, and money sometimes comes in big and other times small. Regular money in regular intervals makes for a more reliable schedule. My Sexy Fiancé Veronica started not one but two jobs. We see each other sporadically, but our time is Quality Time when we do. I’m glad she’s back at work because now I can save up for a newer car. I’ll save for about 6 months, and then shop around a bit.
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Since Saturday’s are more likely for My Sexy Fiancé Veronica to be off work, we’ve been catching the CAPA SUMMER MOVIES to see some classics on the big screen at the Ohio Theater, a kick ass 1920’s theatre that’s been refurbed and preserved. We dig it lots. I took her to see NORTH BY NORTHWEST, the great Hitchcock film from 1959. The 35mm film print was in great shape considering its age. I hate old movies, but seeing CITIZEN KANE for the first time on a pristine 35mm print at the Ohio 8-9 years ago got me into a bunch of films I normally would never have seen. My old roommate Shannon dragged me to that screening and I’ve been going every year since. This past weekend we saw DR. NO, the first ever James Bond film and Sean Connery’s first performance as Bond. I’ve seen this flick about 40 times in my life since my father is a huge Bond fan, and I still saw more detail and image than ever before. This week is another Hitchcock, this one being ROPE, the movie that takes place in one single take. Unfortunately, My Sexy Fiancé Veronica is working, so I’ll be taking my mistress, another hottie and an even younger one. Sadly, my commitment to the INDIE GATHERING this weekend will prevent me from seeing CADDYSHACK on Friday night. It’s a one time screening so I’ll miss it this year.
I am being pulled hard to do some more shorts. Since it’s for a studio, I’m wavering on my lack of desire to do anything. I might choose to produce and not direct. I’ve got too much editing work to do. There is The Derek’s feature, a commercial, some actor’s reels, and my own feature documentary, and that’s just THIS Month’s extracurricular editing outside of the full time job editing for a production company. I’ve been tagging spots for MTV2 and the FOOD NETWORK en masse. It’s not thrilling, but there are far worse ways to make a living. I rather enjoy the process and thank god (wherever she is) that I don’t have to work a day job or live with my parents which turns out psychopaths like Cho from Virginia Tech.
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ZO WESSON, the host & producer of Cincinnati’s VIEWFINDER show on PBS, on which I have made 2 appearances, has been selected as a contestant on the reality-game show PRODUCER for TV GUIDE’s channel. I wish Zo a ton of luck. He deserves it. He was at the regional Emmy’s recently on the gig I had to cancel on for camera op several weeks ago. If I had known, I might have left the E.R. and gone to see him on stage because he’s hilarious. When I had first met him, he knew all about DIRECTOR’s COMMENTARY and director Peter DeLane, my own personal inspiration as a director. Peter DeLane represents everything I aspire to as a director, more than Spielberg, Lucas, Ridley Scott, Peter Jackson, Kubrick, etc.
I have a few copies of my book printed up for this weekend to see if anyone’s interested. Should be fun. My Sexy Fiancé Veronica has arranged to be with me, so I’m sure with some provocative outfits, and when I’m hosting panels, the boys (and possibly girls) will flock to the Sonnyboo both to purchase items and hit on the pretty girl. I have to remember to order a Sonnyboo Thong for My Sexy Fiancé Veronica before we leave.
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My health appears to be on the rise. I have to learn to stop wavering on my habits and create a routine. So far, so good, but it’s not really that far. Sleep schedules getting mucked up wreak the most havoc on the energy levels. I wish I were more like my pal “V”.
“V” is a demon. No two ways about it. We spoilt him. That’s not in question. After Spaz died, we lavished “V” with attention and love. Now that we’re trying to work more and not be at home as much, he’s acting out. “V” already broke my red neon “open” sign that My Sexy Fiancé Veronica gave me for Xmas a few years ago. He chews on My Sexy Fiancé Veronica’s clothes and whines and cries at the door when he wants to go out on a leash, but that’s pretty much 24-7. I don’t really know how to satiate him whilst also trying to discipline the guy. It’s like mini-parenting with an unreasonable and wicked smart creature. Cousette just sleeps a lot. No change there.
Two guys from the Ohio State University’s REEL BUCKEYE have been editing a few nights a week here at Rossdonia. I only met them once before, and they asked if they could use my AVID to cut their documentary and I said sure. They are editing a documentary on the Columbus Film scene. It’s history, its current climate, the things going for it and against it; these are all subject to examination. I got interviewed for it almost a year ago, and since then they contacted several other relevant/important figures in the community to round it out. It started out solely as a “behind the scenes” of the Reel Buckeye feature film THREE EASY PAYMENTS. Ohio State University used to have a film school, but it was disbanded in 1991. Local fixtures like Scott Spears, John Whitney, Tom Bauman, and more all attended the OSU film school. In the last 2-3 years, the OSU students took it upon themselves to do more than just make a little hobby club, they made a “design your own Film Major”, and then created a group that produces feature length movies. They started out as “Buckeye Searchlight” and mimicked the process of Project Greenlight to chose their script, and after that, it became the more palatable Reel Buckeye group. Officially, OSU now has a Film Major due to their collective efforts, but there still is no graduate program or true film production classes. Maybe they will continue to chip away at the bureaucratic bricks until that wall comes down too.
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Seeing that their feature switched over to the controversial Columbus Film scene, a recurring topic is about how it sucks to be a filmmaker in Columbus, Ohio. Some people are “glass is half full” and others are “glass is a cynical object that is somehow preventing me from succeeding in the film industry”. I do have to say that it’s not the city that’s a problem, it’s you. All opportunities in life are what YOU make of them, not the geography and not someone else’s fault. YOU can make anything happen, and no city or other imaginary obstacles can stop you from achieving all of your dreams. Blaming the city you live in is just some pussy cop out because you don’t want to accept responsibility for your own failings. If you oppose this point of view, then all I can offer is one amazingly simple answer to the query – If you do think that Columbus sucks, then LEAVE. Move somewhere else. If you aren’t willing to work hard enough, save the dough, and go to some other city where supposedly your filmmaking talents will miraculously be recognized, then stop complaining, losers. I still firmly believe that you can’t blame a map for your lack of recognition. Maybe filmmaking isn’t for these whiners.
I’m just sitting upstairs while they edit away in the basement. I have a new main editing computer, but it came with Windows Vista which is hardly a usable OS for video editing. It’s like a MAC OS for PC users. It’s a resource hog from hell and none of my video editing programs work well in it. It’s like trying to fly a jet engine with a kite string. I can’t even get rid of the partition and install Windows XP again. It’s frustrating, but at some point soon when I work out the bugs. I just want to edit, and I want this fast machine to keep up with me, not slow me down. Argh.
Peace and love + good happiness stuff for my acolytes,
The Ross of Rossdonia
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