It’s true, I am. I’ve dumped this blog once again but I would like to make amends by giving a status update entry if you’re still listening.

The Boy

The tapering off naturally started after the birth of my son in 2008. Makes sense. I was pretty overwhelmed at the time and in the grand scheme of things commenting on a new HDSLR hitting the street every three months or trying to make sense of the latest film industry distribution model seemed kind of insignificant. A life has entered my life and that is truly a beautiful event. At the time I was going through some sort of existential crisis but there is no doubt in my mind that I’m more than in love with my son. He has given me the understanding of what it takes to be real man and has shown me how far I can go if I push for what is important. That goes a long way.

The Producer

In March 2009 I met a producer at the IFP Script To Screen Conference. Knowing his credits we seemed like a perfect match. Let’s just say he’s currently on a roll. Last year he produced a film that had 2 Oscar nominations and this year he has another film in the running with 5 nominations. After making contact we e-mailed back and forth, he gave me his agents contact info at CAA, it was real. I felt like I was getting closer, finally. A rewrite of Dyre Avenue and a few e-mails later I got lost in the shuffle. He didn’t e-mail back. Neither did his agent. Not his cup of tea? My writing? I didn’t stalk him enough? Who knows? I’m not even sure if it got to him but that’s the biz right?

MFA

Towards the end of 2009 I applied to NYU and Columbia for their MFA/Film programs. I was 42 at the time. I know now and I think I knew then that it was just a desperate attempt to stay connected when I wasn’t feeling so connected. Needless to say, it doesn’t matter either way, I didn’t get in and I’m okay with that but the application process crystalized a few things for me. In retrospect the enrollment would have put a tremendous strain on my family and put me anywhere between one hundred to a quarter of a million in debt. I just can’t do that now. Sure, I would have met some real working industry people. I might have even been taught by some of them which would have been the case at Columbia. Both curriculums are excellent but extremely costly and they are definitely in no way a golden ticket into the industry. Ask the thousands of grads who are still working at The Gap for their third year since graduating. I did ask those questions and got some very interesting answers. A lot of very talented people are desperately trying to dig out of debt in this shitty economy. I know it’s all relative but in the end, Columbia and NYU made the decision for me. What I always felt still stands true though. You will learn more about filmmaking by making films. You will write better screenplays by writing your way to the truth.

The Internet As Classroom

There is no shortage of wisdom on the internet, professional or otherwise, when it comes to filmmaking advice. People who have been there and done that want to share the wealth. Some opinions are valid, some are not. Truth is, sometimes you need to filter the signal to noise ratio and find it out on your own. That’s where I’m at. As one brother of the page put it, it becomes a law of diminished returns. Another, just know when to get off the treadmill.

Because we live in an age of communication and social networking more walls are coming down when it comes to education. The MFA wasn’t really an option for me but the motivation to stay on track and hone my skills was still there. I looked into other possibilities – consolidated, more short term possibilities. Let’s face it, I have a family now and building a portfolio of screenplays will need discipline, motivation, structure and community. It’s not getting any easier. Time is compressed. I feel like every minute of my day is accounted for and it takes more and more effort to stay focused. These programs might help:

UCLA Professional Program

UCLA Extension

Scott Myers

They’re all online and they’re flexible and when all is said and done I’ll probably have a couple more screenplays under my belt. They’re all based on the West Coast. Why the West Coast? Sadly, NYU and Columbia don’t offer programs like this or I’d be there. It’s a shame.

Move, Move, Move

I’m about to move for the third time in three years in the next coming months. There’s no other way to put it but it sucks. Moving a family is traumatic and disruptive. This was supposed to be our regrouping period so we could save some money and potentially look to buy a home and create a stable environment two to three years down the line but an unfortunate deal with a duplicitous landlord lead us to this.

We’ll move. We’ll survive. We always do.

The Future of This Savage Art

I always used this blog to stay tapped in and to communicate with people in the industry. Even if it was just for my own clarity I think it helped me to stay connected. As you can see the site has taken on a cleaner, less cluttered look. It symbolizes pretty much where I am at right now. There will be more slow and gradual change over time. Posting will probably be less often but when I do post hopefully it will be more dense with well thought out musings and information. Hopefully this time around the blog will be driven by more posts regarding process and the inner workings of the filmmaking experience. The Short Ends section on the sidebar is a good place to find links and things I generally find helpful, educational, amusing or what have you. This all leads to:

The Future of My Work

This is a big one. I’m cleaning the palette right now. Emptying the cache. Making plans for the year. Writing. Touching base with old alliances. Creating new ones. Getting my ass back out there. No predictions. No promises. Just putting up or shutting up. That’s the future of my work.

I’m hoping that this post marks a new beginning for me. A resurrection. A change in direction. A new, more focused way of looking at what I’m trying to convey and why I’m trying to convey it. It’s time for me to grow and dig a little deeper. Ask the tough questions. Time will tell.

Damn it feels good to press Publish.

Here is Cinema Scope’s latest issue cover:

Here’s some artwork I did a month ago having some fun with all the director on director fighting going on in the media:

They say stimulation is important for newborns so in time I’ll be breaking out the Cassavetes DVD box set. He’ll be weaned on the greats. Kubrick, Peckinpah (What? Too violent?), Huston. The Neo-Realists. Noir. Scorsese. I’ll even throw in some Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder, that is) and Caddyshack for good measure. Too many to mention here. Oh yeah, this boy will appreciate finer cinema, high culture and low, if I have anything to do with it.

Until then I have to change some diapers so you’ll have to excuse me.

I spent the last couple of weeks seeing some friends and spending some quiet time with the family and Linda. Quiet is good, trust me.

Creatively, I will be pushing forward with everything as per usual. Writing, screening, shooting, editing, learning…always learning. My time will definitely be consumed in the months to come especially after April (the due date is April 14th, give or take a couple of weeks.) I have a theory that the busier you are the more productive you potentially can be provided you’re busy the good way not the mind-numbing, grinding, spinning your wheels bad way. I got a Canon HV20 HD MiniDV Camcorder so I intend on shooting more which will be good. It’s not a prosumer camera but it can be hacked to produce some beautiful images at 24p. I’m still working with FCP 5.1.4 so getting the HDV format into my system might keep me up a couple of nights. It’s not a full on DV/HD camera like the DVX-100 or the HVX-200 but it will serve me well for small projects and experimenting. Anyway…

I wish everyone who stops by [This Savage Art] a healthy 2008 and thanks for reading and remaining interested.