2008: Oh What a Year!

I have an important filmmaking tip below, but before I get into that, please bear with me for a paragraph or so:

This is how 2008 has panned out so far:  while I'm out of the country the first part of Jan 2008, I find out that my apartment flooded during the LA rains.  Mold sprouted from the walls.  My landlady gave my roommate and me three days to find another place because she needed six months to replaster the place (i.e., kick us out so that she can raise the rent).  My roommate (who developed a bad respiratory problem because of the mold) scrambles to find another place--rent is of course more expensive everywhere.   Since I'm still out of the country, I ask Lisa to just move me into the new place.  She moves there (during which time her dad falls down the stairs while helping her move) and finds a dirty apartment and the frig doesn't work.   I get back into town and it starts pouring again, and again, the ceiling is leaking at the new apartment.  The phone doesn't work, which we found later was due to someone cutting the phone lines.   We tried to get DSL, but for whatever reason, AT&T can't figure out how to turn on the DSL at the apartment, even though all our neighbors have DSL (this took about a month of back and forth trouble-shooting).  Meanwhile, I'm still trying to get paid for work that I performed in December 2007, but my follow-up calls and emails for payment remain unreturned.  And, the topping on the cake: our downstairs neighbor is CRAZY (that's an all-caps CRAZY) and a total NIGHTMARE (of the Single, White Female Over Sixty variety).  There is MORE to all this insanity, but I'll spare you the details.  

But despite all this, there have been blessings.  And I'm happy to report that I (well, Laura really) found a fantastic editor who has been a pleasure to work with.  Thank you, Universe.  So Ricardo, the editor, calls me tonight and tells me that some of the footage was recorded at a rate of 59.94 fps, while the rest of the footage was shot at a 23.98 fps.  This is a problem, one of which is that sound will not sync properly with the different frame rates, plus it makes editing a b*tch.  So, we need to find a way to convert the scenes shot at 59.94 fps to 23.98.  The problem has a solution, but at what cost?  I don't know, but we'll find out soon enough.  So lesson here is, make sure that when you're shooting to keep your frame rates consistent.  Be anal and insist on getting it right during production, not in post.  

I found this nice quote tonight while surfing the internet (i.e., procrastinating) that I'd like to share with you.  It doesn't have anything to do with frame rates, or nightmare apartment stories, but it's inspiring to me:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back--Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.  All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.  A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."  (for source of quote, see www.goethesociety.org/pages/quotescom.html)

We are committed to getting this film done.  Come hell or high water (literally)--bring it on baby!