Fulfilling Childhood Dreams--It Can Happen

I fulfilled one of my childhood dreams today: I met Lindsay Wagner.  For those born in the '80's and may not know, Lindsay Wagner is THE Bionic Woman (the original series, not the probably-off-the-air-by-now recent remake of it).  Of all the super-women fighting crime in the 70's and 80's, my favorite super-woman of all time was The Bionic Woman.  I mean, Wonder Woman was cool and all with her magic lasso and invisible plane, but come on, with boobs that big, I couldn't relate.  Charlie's Angels were cool too, but it took three of them to get the job done, while the Bionic Woman kicked ass on her own.  I found the story compelling: a skydiving accident left her paralyzed, but she "rose from the ashes" (so to speak) to become the bionic woman and save the world.  It was her second chance at life, and she used it to do good.  Plus, I loved Max, the bionic dog.

I know this is probably the geekiest blog you've ever read, but let me take you back to my childhood for a moment so you understand where I'm coming from.  As I mentioned in a prior blog, my family came to the U.S. with not much more than the clothes on our backs.  Both my parents worked around the clock in order to feed their five kids.  So I did what most latchkey kids do, which is watch television.   Say what you will about the evils of television, in my case TV was my English teacher, my babysitter, my escape from poverty.  

So I loved the Bionic Woman because she was a survivor.  And I'm sure that deep down in my subconscious then--young as I was--was this hope that you do get second chances in life and use your powers for good.  I needed to believe that because as refugees, we were lucky to get that second chance in the U.S.

Anyway, the event that I attended today was the Women In Film's Malibu breakfast.  Lindsay Wagner was the guest speaker.  After her talk, I chatted with her briefly and even took a blurry picture from my cell phone.  My childhood idol was the Bionic Woman, but Lindsay Wagner is even more amazing in person.  Wow.

  

  

Vagina Music Strikes Back....and ruins trailer in the process

I just saw the Sex and the City trailer (click the title to take you there). The first song - not sure who's singing it but it's Irving Berlin's Blue Skies (I love it) and then, EEEEK! a remake of the Heart of the Matter (very annoying interpretation) and then thank God, the Sex and the City theme, revamped and ready for chorus line of gay boys. Why oh why did they have to use the middle song to kill the trailer.

I stand by my dislike of the new version of Heart of the Matter, I hope that the movie is not full of pathetic versions of good songs. There's no accounting for good taste, I'm sure the song will be nominated for all sorts of awards and I'll probably get hate mail in the process but that's ok.

I guess it's written in some manual that when Hollywood needs to sell or market to women and girls it must be done with so much sugar that it gives you a toothache.

I've heard a horrible spoiler/rumor about the film, if it's in fact true, then I guess they need to enhance the plot with as much crappy music as possible and give people something else to complain about.

Lucy

Commitment to Our Personal Calling

I've wanted to write this post for a while now, but every time I sit down and face this blog, the words elude me.  So perhaps the easier (and more eloquent) way to talk about following one's dreams is to borrow from Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist", one of my favorite books.  In the introduction, Coelho talks about the four obstacles that keep us from pursuing our dreams.  (I won't discuss all four obstacles here, because you should go out and discover it for yourself if you haven't read it already.) 

Coelho asks, "Why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people?"  This question/conversation comes up often with my friends who are pursuing, or want to pursue, their personal calling.  Mainly, the question is not whether to pursue our personal calling, but how to financially support ourselves during the pursuit.  How long would you be willing to work at [insert day job here] in order to support your filmmaking dreams, while your friends are buying homes and vacationing around the world?  At what point do you go after the fallback career, or if you have one, to fall back into that fallback career?  

Coehlo answers this question of "why": "Because, once we have overcome the defeats--and we always do--we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence.  In the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life."  And my favorite quote: "Intense, unexpected suffering passes more quickly than suffering that is apparently bearable; the latter goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away at our soul, until, one day, we are no longer able to free ourselves from the bitterness and it stays with us for the rest of our lives."

For my friends who have asked, "Why this pursuit?", and "For how long?", I think the answer can only be answered by the individual asking the question.  But IMHO, I think that the commitment to the pursuit makes us more fulfilled.  And isn't that what we're striving for?   

        

 

Great advice from one of my myspace friends (click here to link)

Hiring Your Crew

Hiring your Film Crew

When hiring your CREW, first and foremost what you're looking for is other leaders. People who will take their position and own it - make themselves the LEADER of that job. This is a collaborative medium. Everyone can pour themselves into the film, no matter which position they have, and just plain make the film better.

If everyone on your set works that much harder, and believes in the project with their inner soul, then you have the makings of a great film. In previous films I've learned what not when hiring a crew.

As the Producer and/or Director, you are the LEADER of the film. You have to make tough decisions. Hiring Your Crew is the first, and sometimes the toughest, decision you have to make.

I've learned two major hiring mistakes in the past:

1) DO NOT hire someone who thinks they are doing you a favor.

If you're a first-time filmmaker or you are just beginning, you may tend to want to hire a DP, for example, with loads of experience. That is a smart decision, no question, but the danger is that they might think they are just helping you out by coming on board. What happens when they are not emotionally linked to the project? They are there to help out, not to become a part of the overall team.

If you hire someone with a great resume of prior experience, no matter if they are an actor, editor, sound designer, etc., make sure there is an equal partnership in your relationship, and that you are both working with each other because of this great project you have, and for no other reason.

Hiring someone who's doing you a favor WILL ALWAYS end badly. Every relationship you start has to begin on equal footing.

Same goes for the other way around. DO NOT hire someone that YOU want to do a favor for. It sounds like a nice thing to do, hiring a family member, friend of the girlfriend, etc...BUT nine times out of
10 it never ends well. And these are the people you have a hard time firing, too.

2) DO NOT hire your friend because they are your friend.

The film is the ego of the project. Everything must be done for the sake of making the best film possible. And that includes hire the best person for each job.

We all tend to want to hire people that make us the most comfortable, right away. The people we already know, and don't have to go through the "getting to know you" stage of the relationship. But are they the best person for the job? Is there someone better you can find with the means you have?

This is your film. Your mission is to make the best film, and sometimes making the hard decisions about whom you bring on will give you the best film.

When HIRING YOUR CREW, they have to pass the TEST. A good measure is if they can answer these THREE QUESTIONS with a PERFECT SCORE:

1) Do they have INTEGRITY?


-Do they tell the truth, keep their word, take responsibility for past actions, admit mistakes, and fix them?
-You can rely on their reputation in the field and their reference checks (always ask for references, even for freebie films). Reference checks of course aren't infallible. So ask yourself what YOUR INNER GUT says. When you're shooting a film, you're going to have to rely on your instincts a lot, so when hiring your crew you'll get some good practice.
-Even if their resumes, reputation and reference checks are great, if your instinct feels something is off, then trust your instinct.

2) Do they have INTELLIGENCE FOR THEIR CRAFT?


-They understand the practical means of their position, while also being creatively unique. And they understand how to be a leader, too, and bring other smart people to the project for you.

-Take a look at their reels and see if there's something there that will make you KNOW that they can do your project.
-They understand that intelligence for their craft also means showing up on time, showing up prepared and ready for a long-but-insightful-and-meaningful day. And they treat everyone else on the crew with respect for their jobs, and offer kindness and support.

3) Are they MATURE?


-You can be mature or immature at any age.
-You can see that a person has grown up when they can withstand the heat, handle stress and setbacks, and enjoy success with humility. Bottom line: They respect the emotions of others.

WHEN HIRING YOUR CREW, THEY MUST SCORE PERFECT ON THESE QUESTIONS

Overall, to build an effective team, as a leader you know that, in order to meet and exceed your goals, you need help from the best. What I try to do is always hire people that are smarter than me.

And this is never about MONEY. Sometimes you have no money, sometimes you have some, sometimes you have a lot. Of course you can't hire Tom Cruise to act in your film if you don't have any money, but there is always someone out there, no matter what your budget is, who can do a great job.

The less money you have, the more you have to search, but there is always a great hire out there. NEVER SETTLE!!

Take a look at the GOOD, CHEAP and FAST section for the rules of working within a limited budget.

Now that you've hired the best crew, it's your job to lead them to victory.

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Why I Love Vagina Music

Once you get Lucy and me started on music, we are sure to digress from talking about filmmaking.  But music is such an integral part of a film, especially our film, that I can't help but continue this discussion on music.  Actually, the more appropriate title for this blog should be, why I love music.  I think music is the best way to emotionally touch someone.  It's visceral, immediate.  As a writer, I am so envious of musicians.  Because a great book or film requires so much more to emotionally engage the audience, but a great song, well, it only takes a few minutes to be completely moved.  

But anyway, back to vagina music.  My very first recollection of being completely moved by it was probably when I was five or six years old.  There we were--the seven of us in my family--crammed inside a small one-bedroom home.  We had arrived in the U.S. months prior; came to the U.S. with not much more than clothes on our backs (a cliche by now, but true).  I remember waking up one morning and Karen Carpenter was singing "Yesterday Once More" on the radio.  God, I loved that song!  I barely spoke English at this point, but that song really touched me.  Even now, I remember that one morning: the old mattress that we slept on, the sunlight through the window, my mom's murmurs in the background--as Karen Carpenter, her amazing, beautiful voice, made me a lover of vagina music even before Lucy coined the term "vagina music".  

Vagina Music

I've been very busy and have had little time to blog. Between pre-production on Love Song, working on Movies by Women, life and the curves it throws your way, blogging has not been a top priority.

Christine sure found a way to get me here. It's what I call Lilith Fair crap or Vagina music. She told me of the songs that she has playing here and that I should listen to them. I had a cringe fest - that girly stuff really makes me go into convulsions. I LOVE female singers and female rockers, I like them when they are melancholic and when they rock out, I also like good pop female singers. I don't like them when they whine, bitch and complain. I like my women musicians/singers/songwriters the way I like my friends; talented, cool & low maintenance.

I love Fiona Apple, Hole (Live Through This), Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac, Madonna, Dusty Springfield, Dione Worwick, The Supremes, Joan Jett, Heart, Bananarama, Patsy Cline, Mazzy Star, Peaches, Shocking Blue, Ladytron, Janis Joplin,K.D. Lang, The Poppy Family etc. - so you see, it's not that I don't like women singers, I like my vagina music to have some balls (sorry to be crass but that's the best way to describe it).

Some local acts that I LOVE - LA based The Fabulous Miss Wendy and Seattle's Mono in VCF.

Coming up with music for the film has been one of the most fun and creative parts of the project for me. The music in my portion of the film is not just part of the soundtrack, the music itself is one of my characters. Before I started writing, I came up with a kick ass soundtrack that included a lot of the music from the aformentioned artists. I wrote a blog about how music inspires me a few years ago. It's one of the earlier blogs and it's titled Thank You For The Music if you're so inclined to go back and read it.

I will blog more often, and I'll definitely write about my upcoming location scout w/my kick ass dp - we're going on a bike ride in Venice. The creative juices never stop flowing.

xoxo,
Lucy

It's Not You, It's the Movies You Watch

First off, I'd like to apologize for the inconsistent font uses in my blog postings.  I mean really, I can work around the tax code and deductions, but I still can't figure out how to make my blogs look good. Ugh.

So one popular article recently posted on nytimes.com is entitled "It's Not You, It's Your Books" (you can link to the article by clicking on the title of this blog).  In this article, the author writes about how social networking sites such as facebook and myspace allow us to "brand" ourselves by identifying our tastes in music, books and films.  On dates, or even before we get to that stage, do we make snap judgments based on our potential mates' bookshelves?  

As filmmakers, do we make similar judgments based on the films that our potential dates, or perhaps a potential work partner, claim as favorites?  Should we review a potential partner's Netflix queue prior to accepting a date?  Are different tastes in films a reflection of incompatible personalities??  

 

When Lucy, Laura and I got together to discuss the "look" of our individual stories, it was pretty clear that we each have very different tastes and film influences.  Yet we have managed to work together for years now despite our differences.  I think that is because at the root of it all, we share a passion for films.  (Not to mention our low maintenance personalities.)

IMHO, I have to say that compatibility is more about sharing a passion for a thing, rather than the specifics of that thing.  

 

 

Music

I've been listening to some songs that Watson, our music supervisor, has compiled for the film.  We talked several months ago to go over what kind of music I'm looking for.  He did a great job putting together a nice collection of songs. We haven't obtained the rights to use these songs yet, but Watson searched for indie musicians who may be willing to let us use their music for free in exchange for getting exposure on our website and film.  So one of the songs that I loved is "See You Through" (listen to it above).  

Lucy and I have a running joke that our musical tastes are completely different, with the exception of both of us loving Mazzy Star.  It will be interesting to see how the music in her story will be different from the music in mine (and Laura's).  I can't wait to see how the music will fit with the images.     

My Last Blog on Taxes

Well, at least for this tax season.  I just e-filed my tax returns.  What a big relief.  This was the first year that I had retained a CPA to help me with my taxes, in large part because we had formed the production company last year and we needed to file a tax return for the LLC.  The downside to using an LLC entity as our production vehicle is that the California Franchise Tax Board imposes an annual $800 fee on LLCs.  This doesn't sound like much, but for indie filmmakers every penny hurts.  The upside to using an LLC is the flexibility that it provides with respect to the allocation of profits and losses, and it's also considered a "pass-through" entity which means that the losses that the LLC incurred in production can be passed through to the investors.  Filmmakers should consider retaining a good CPA to guide them through the process of deducting production expenses on their tax returns.  

There is also another tax benefit for filmmakers whereby you only have to pay 3% taxes on products you use for post. A fellow filmmaker pointed this out to me but I haven't had a chance to read up on this, as I've been obsessed about finishing up my tax returns (that, and playing Texas Hold'em on Facebook).  Stay tuned--I will post additional info soon on this.  So I guess I lied when I said this will be the last post on taxes.   

Tax Incentives for Film Investors, Pt. II

As I noted in a prior post, there are possible tax benefits for film investors under Section 181 of the tax code.  (Now, if I was trying to write a legal memo, I would use the correct cite, but I will refrain here.)  I met with a CPA recently to discuss this rule, and it appears that Section 181 is definitely available for this tax year.  (Again, my disclaimer: I am not a tax attorney nor have I ever wanted to be a tax attorney nor have I ever wanted to date anyone who is a tax attorney.  This blog is not meant to be tax advice.  You will need to consult with your own tax advisor.)  The main benefit of this rule is for film investors who are also "active investors" in the production entity, who would be able to deduct their investment against ordinary income.  "Passive investors" will only be able to deduct their investment as a passive loss against passive income, in the year when a loss is recognized.  Since we formed an LLC as the production entity, the LLC will need to file its own tax return, and in turn, "pass-through" the production expenses to the individual investors.  Sec. 181 can be extremely beneficial for filmmakers who have invested in their own films.  This of course assumes that struggling filmmakers have other income to offset their losses.  That is another topic for another day.

Anthony Minghella Dies

Every filmmaker has a few favorite directors whom they really admire, and Anthony Minghella is one of mine.  The English Patient remains one of my favorite movies.  Link to his obituary in the LA Times above.

Website Marketing

Lucy and I drove down to OC yesterday to meet with our web developer.  We met him through a friend of mine who just started his own IT consulting business.  We talked through what we're looking for, and used websites of other romantic comedies as examples of the "look and feel" of the "www.love10to1.com" website.  Our main goal for the website is to generate lots of traffic to the website so that we can promote the film, promote the cast and crew, and hopefully show potential distributors that we have a built-in audience.  To drive traffic to the website, we're planning to include some fun and interactive things on the website, links from other popular sites such as YouTube, as well as use search engine optimization and the like.  

As I noted earlier in a prior post, marketing is probably one of the most significant challenges for a filmmaker, possibly more so than distribution.  The reason why is because distribution channels have opened up, i.e., the internet, though the supply of indie films has increased due to the relative lower cost of making a film nowadays (i.e., making a digital video rather than using film).  However, with so many indie films out there vying for attention, which ones will actually attract audiences?  That's where marketing comes in.  Big studios can afford to cast big name stars to attract the big audiences, but what about the indie filmmakers?  Our marketing plan is still evolving but we started brainstorming on how to market our film even before we wrap with production.  Hopefully one of our ideas will stick.  

              

In Los Angeles, Single Women Out # Men by 10 to 1 - what are your chances of finding THE ONE?

The information below came from this site http://www.solvedating.com/soulmatecalculator.asp

I found the site through this article http://dir.salon.com/story/mwt/feature/2003/05/14/soulmate/index.html
Go ahead, take their test, I had a good chuckle with my results.

Modern Soulmate Theory

Modern Soulmate Theory is based on math and probability calculations.

It has nothing to do with reincarnation, astrology, or magic.

Soulmates are not destined to be with each other.

God may have made a soulmate or a few soulmates for you. God may help you find your soulmate or He may not. Evil forces or your own free will may influence you to choose the wrong person.

You may have one or millions of soulmates depending on how different you are from the population mean.

Statistically, there is at least one person in this world that will bring you true love, a love that will last a lifetime.

People spend a lot of time, money, and energy in their search for soulmates.

The odds of finding a soulmate are very slim. Only a few people are lucky enough to find their soulmates.

Current dating services are inefficient and flawed.

People are "forced" to settle for incompatible mates resulting in break ups and divorces.

Human and social capital decrease because of relationship problems.

One day in the near future, because of technological advances, people will find their soulmate or soulmates very easily.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINE!

It's Super Christine's Birthday Today.

Stop by her myspace page and send her your love.

http://www.myspace.com/goodkarmafilms

The Website is Coming.....

Stay Tuned.

xoxo,

Lucy

Tax Incentives for Film Investors

I attended a seminar yesterday where someone talked about the tax deductions that a film investor can take if they invest in a film.  While I don't know the particulars of this tax law, I think it would be very useful to find out about it from a tax advisor or a tax attorney.  Here is my disclaimer that I am not a tax advisor or a tax attorney, nor have I ever wanted to be a tax advisor or tax attorney, so please do not consider any of this tax advice.  Anyway, I posted the link to the article above (just click on the title of this blog entry).  If anyone has any knowledge of this tax credit and/or has used it to get some money back from Uncle Sam, I would love to hear about it.

The Oscars

So far I'm doing horribly on my Oscar picks.  Oh well, there goes that 47" flat screen HDTV prize.  But how hot is Javier Bardem?!!! I'm gonna start practicing my Spanish again.  Jon Stewart has his moments, but I'm thinking Rainn Wilson was much funnier at the Independent Spirit Awards yesterday.  I vote for Steve Carell to host next year's Oscars.

...Wow, Tilda Swinton won for Best Supporting Actress. She was fantastic in Michael Clayton. The film itself was just okay, her performance carried the film I thought. Marion Cottilard for Best Actress was another surprise winner tonight. She gave one of the most touching acceptance speeches, probably because she was speechless for half of it. It was really touching though.

So I have to admit that I never saw Enchanted and after listening to all the songs nominated tonight, I have no desire to see the film. I haven't seen Once either, but their song just won for Best Song. That film was made for $100K. Amazing. The second most touching speech tonight thus far was by the chick who won for Best Song. Jon Stewart had her come back to give her speech, since her partner did all the talking the first time around. I think that's an Oscar first.

Is it me, or did John Travolta's hair cut look like it was sprayed on?

Okay, time to get back to the show!

I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, or is it the Blahs?

There are so many hurdles and hoops one has to jump to get a film made. I've jumped the hoops, I've faced the road blocks and yet, my film still needs to be shot. I could have shot the film back in November but the film would have SUCKED. I wasn't happy with the direction the script had taken, you ask people for opinions and you'll get them good and bad - unfortunately, I listened to the bad ones. I've remedied that situation and I'm happy with the script.

There are three things that are making this harder and more challenging for me:

1. My mom's cancer which was in remission for the last 14 years decided to rear it's ugly head in December of 2006. My mom was in and out of the hospital - I say in and out because she got chemo from January - March and in April the cancer was gone - then in July it was back and she had to go for more chemo, and in November it was gone. When she went for her next check up in February of 2008, the Pet Scan showed that the cancer is back and bigger than the original. When she went to get the cat scan, the insurance denied it and the hospital sent her home. My mom was upsed and she's been through so much that she didn't feel like fighting or arguing with the hospital. My sister Onahoua was the first to hear about the incident and she took it upon herself to go to war with the insurance and the hospital. Seeing how she's been dealing with all the beaurocracy and bullshit while performing 8 shows a week in a very emotionally charged play, earned her my deepest, utmost respect. I'm glad she took over because I'm so sick of hospitals, illness, insurance etc. The first time my mom had cancer I was the one who went to all the radiation treatments and the experience left me numb. We're still waiting to hear if the cat scan got approved. Regardless, my mom's appointment for the cat scan is for this Friday and if the insurance doesn't approve it, the procedure costs $15,000 and that's not including all the additional fees that go with walking into a hospital. The insurance doesn't feel that the cat scan is a necessary procedure, they have approved both procedures in the past. It's frustrating dealing with this and trying to make a movie on top of it.

I'll leave reasons 2 & 3 for another blog, I've shared too much personal stuff already. If you read the blog I Could Never Be Your Woman, you'll understand why I related to Amy Heckerling's woes.

Hearing about the problem with the frame rate and how much it's going to cost to fix it didn't help. I took the advise of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and got a mani/pedi after work. I told Christine I'd buy a lottery ticket because the the jackpot is at 220M but my manicurist took so long to get to me and I missed buying the ticket - Darn.

Hopefully this sadness and blahness I'm going through will be over soon.

I'm going to Denver this weekend to see Onahoua perform. The people who have seen it say it's her best work yet. I can't wait to see the play but I'm looking forward to seeing her play Shane.

xoxo,
Lucy

Universe, Please Throw Us a Lifeline

I am convinced that the the one quality that distinguishes filmmakers who get their films made from the ones who don't is the ability to withstand days when you just want to repeatedly bang your head against a wall until you don't feel the pain anymore.  I just talked with a guy at a post house who said that he can fix our frame rate problems, but it will cost more than what we budgeted for editing.  Mind you, this is not the amount to edit, it's to fix the f--- up footage that we have so that our editor can start editing.  And this is the friends and family discounted rate.  The alternative is to just drop the footage into the timeline and render it, but it will take much longer to render (thus, prolonging the amount of time our editor needs to spend on editing, thus increasing the cost of editing).  Also, there would be a question of the consistency of the image, i.e., quality.  If I didn't think that my landlord would charge me for a bloodied wall from banging my head against it, I would.       

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!

Blogging to raise Financing

There were several reasons why we started this blog.  One reason was that we wanted to provide an account of what it takes to make an indie film, good and bad.  Our hope is that our mistakes will provide other filmmakers with valuable lessons so as not to make the same ones.  (Though perhaps the best lessons are the ones that that we make on our own.)  We also wanted to provide a website for people to become familiar with our film, as we have not put up our own film site.  (That will be coming shortly...we are talking with a website developer for the film website).  

The other main reason is that we can actually make money from blogging.  Money that we would use to finance our film.  We just added a google search bar on the right hand side of this web page, so that whenever you search for something, please use this search bar.  Also, through AdSense, we make money every time someone clicks on a google ad on this page.  Google has made billions from this.  We're hoping to make at least a few dollars.  So, if you need to conduct a search, feel free to come to our website and conduct your search from here.  Or, once in a while, if you see an ad that you find appealing, feel free to click on it.  It's pennies each time, but that adds up.  So far we've made about $4.00 from this functionality, but blogging for pennies is like recycling.  You just gotta do it.

  

Happy Valentine's Day from Dirty Virgin

Valentine's Day Wish for Love 10 to 1

I'm meeting with a potential editor today.  Laura found him via Craigslist.  He edited a film I saw at LA Film Fest last year that I LOVED.  I was so excited to see his resume.  So I'm crossing my fingers that our meeting in person will be as good as our telephone conversation.  Laura's and my search for an editor over the past couple months has felt like going on 100 bad first dates.  And now we still find ourselves without an editor, almost three months after production, on this Valentine's Day.  So I'm hoping this meeting will be fruitful.  

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Here's a cute little story courtesy of NY Magazine

HEART OF GLASS - How do you know if he thinks of you as more than a cellist?
Who suspected minimalist composer Philip Glass wrote love songs? Weeks after turning 70 last year, he premiered Songs and Poems for Solo Cello, which he wrote for his fortyish girlfriend, Wendy Sutter. A recording of Sutter playing the piece, which isn’t exactly a boy-band tune, comes out this week, in time for Valentine’s Day. They spoke to Rebecca Milzoff.

You met on tour. What were your first impressions?
Wendy Sutter: I knew his work, but I didn’t know anything about his personal life. He wasn’t on the radar as a romantic interest. Philip Glass: I knew her as an exceptional cellist, but she was somewhat mysterious.

When did you get to know each other better?
W.S.: Philip asked me to do a documentary film’s music, originally for cello and voice. By e-mail I said, “Would you mind if we turned this into a solo piece?” We’d have these old-fashioned meetings, where I’d bring the cello and he’d sit at the piano. Some of the music is so stunning, so emotional; that was kind of my first clue that maybe he liked me more than as a cellist. It was sort of an old-fashioned romantic gesture.

Was it?
P.G.: I don’t write music for people very often. With a good collaboration, there’s a strong emotional connection to the music, but that’s a professional connection. But then there’s a personal emotional connection that can happen beyond that.

Do you have Valentine’s Day plans?
W.S.: No, well … do we? P.G.: There’s the Tibet House concert the 13th…

I hope you enjoyed this. I wish I had been lucky enough to secure a ticket to the LACMA event on March 1st where Philip Glass will be performing his recent Etudes and Other Work for solo piano. Oh well.....

XOXO,
Lucy

Movies By Women - Audio Podcast 06: AWARDS GALORE, IFC, JUNO ET AL.

Brand Spanking New Podcast
http://www.moviesbywomen.com/podcasts.php

MBW Audio Podcast 06: Awards Galore, IFC, Juno, et al
Release Date: 2008/02/08
Running Time: 35:15
Format & Size: Quicktime MP3 28.2MB

This week in the MoviesByWomen audio podcast 06: In Episode 6, The ladies are joined once again by Kim Adelman (indiewire.com columnist and author of "The Ultimate Guide to Chick Flicks", among others). Kim shares her career path and the internship that led to where she is today. Discussed are docs directed by women at the Sundance Film Festival as well as the screening and selection process for short films at the festival. Women nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards are also discussed.

A Nice Surprise

I just read the nicest and sweetest email from Chris Hendricks who plays Jared. He said he LOVES my blogs because I "pour my heart out". He said so many nice things and it felt good to get such a great email from someone whose work I respect. Chris was such a professional, and a joy to work with. I remember when he read for us, he nailed the part just by walking in the room. I strongly believe in fate but I also believe in free will. All our actors have been so wonderful during this process and I often think that fate brought them our way but it was our will that chose them.



So thank you Mr. Hendricks for the kind words, the enthusiasm and the encouragement. I look forward to working with you again.

ps

If anyone else likes the blogs or the podcasts let me know, feedback is always appreciated.

xoxo,
Lucy

SAG

I'm happy to report that last week I got my SAG contract for Love Song signed by my SAG rep and they sent me my copy in the mail.

HOORAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!


xoxo,

Lucy

My Busy Life - Trying to Fit it All In

Where does the time go? I’ve been so busy during the last month, between pre-production on Love Song, and all the other things I do, I haven’t had a day off in about three weeks.

I started a new blog called the Canyon Nymphs but I haven’t had any time to go hiking. I’m glad it rained as much as it did because I was able to stay home and watch some of the films that are nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards (I get to vote because I’m a Film Independent member).

Speaking of, I loved the films Starting Out In The Evening and Eastern Promises. It’s a good thing that Viggo Mortensen did not get nominated because I really want Frank Langella to win best male lead for Starting Out In The Evening. I hope Viggo wins the Oscar but it’ll probably go to Daniel Day L. I have not seen There Will Be Blood. I’m so sick of the hype certain films get. I’ve heard very mixed reviews on this one so…. Another over hyped film is Juno. It was sweet and enjoyable but it’s no Little Miss Sunshine and certainly no Oscar contender. It’s too bad that a film like Starting Out In The Evening did not get the recognition it deserved by the Academy. Here’s my take on Juno and I’m taking this from an exchange that my friend Gus and I had about this film:

Gus: - It's been a while since I've seen a film trying so desperately to be cool. From the nifty title sequence to the quirky soundtrack to the self-indulgent dialogue, Juno is a film in love with itself, as is screenwriter Diablo Cody, a.k.a. Brook Busey. I'm still convinced that people love talking about this movie because it's written by somebody named Diablo. Some rave about the greatness of the script, but I think Amy Heckerling managed to catch the vibe of a generation better in the underrated Clueless, to much less fanfare. Plus, there were two superior films this year about unexpected pregnancies: Waitress (more heartfelt) and Knocked Up (funnier).

Lucy: I agree about Juno, I enjoyed watching it but felt the dialogue was contrived. Amy Heckerling certainly got the vibe of Clueless' generation by observing the kids of that generation and portraying them in their terms. She did this brilliantly in Fast Times at Ridgemont High as well. Cody's attempt at making June a cool, quirky teen of today fails miserably because all the things that make Juno cool and quirky came from a different generation, (her hamburger phone, her taste in music etc.) that's why the film feels so dishonest to me. Jennifer Garner's character was the only one who rang true

On Saturday, we recorded podcasts for MoviesByWomen. We had a line up of amazing guests including Martha Richards, Founder & Executive Director of The Fund for Women Artists. It was really nice meeting this woman because for the last two years I’ve been getting their newsletters every other month. She’s so passionate about empowering women in the arts and she flew from San Francisco to meet with us. The next guest was Chela Johnson, VP of Marketing at Lionsgate. She was so much fun mostly because we discussed horror movies and they are my guilty pleasure, wait, not guilty, I don’t mind saying I love horror movies. Our last guest was Catherine Jelski, a filmmaker who just directed one of the episodes of Quarterlife, she gave us great insight on how the TV industry works. The last podcast was Heidi, Stephanie, Tara and me discussing the Entertainment Weekly article Would You Dump This Woman. Read it below and rent the movie I Could Never Be Your Woman.

So no hike on Saturday but I did manage to go to the gym and do a pilates class and about an hour on the tread mill and then I went to Tara’s to record the podcasts. After the recording session I was exhausted but then my good friend and super talented director Daniel Eduvijes Carrera (Danito or Danny) called to invite me to two parties. I almost said no but he convinced me to go because it would be good for networking. I’m all about networking these days. I met a lot of nice people and I’m so glad that Danny takes me to these events. I had the pleasure of meeting a documentary film maker whose work I admire. Anayansi Prado directed Maid In America, a doc that takes a look at the lives of three Latinas working as maid/nannies in Los Angeles. I’ve been meaning to email her and invite her to be a guest on the podcasts but I don’t like to bother people so I didn’t. Maybe I should have because she was so nice and warm and asked what I was working on etc. I got her card so I’ll invite her. Out podcasts deal with the struggles women face making films and I’d like to get the perspective from another Latina’s point of view. I was too tired to go to the 2nd party. I got home at almost 2am.

On Sunday I somehow managed to scrape myself out of bed and go to another pilates class before meeting Jenna (Love Song producer) at 12pm in Burbank. I was with her for a few hours. Then, I was supposed to go to a meeting at the Filmmaker’s Alliance but I was too tired and decided to get a manicure instead. I went home, caught up on the last two L Word episodes and watched another movie.

Catch and Release written and directed by Susannah Grant (screenwriter of Erin Brockovich and In Her Shoes). I liked the film a lot mostly because of Jennifer Garner, but like the tv show Friends, these people live with a lot of affluence and yet they don’t seem to have jobs to pay for such a lifestyle. All that aside, it was an enjoyable watch and I’m all for promoting other women filmmakers so if you get a chance, you should watch it.

Last weekend I worked on the set of a cool martial arts project. Matt, the DP for Love Song hooked me up with it. It was a great experience to be on a set where I’m sure the budget for one day was probably more than the Love Song budget for 7 days!!! Welcome to IndieWood. I got to see some of the guys who worked on Love 10 to 1. It was so good to see Brian Sorbo again. He’s so amazing and we owe him so much. When our website is up we’ll upload his info because he’s a great resource for independent filmmakers. If anyone reads this is interested in an amazing gaffer w/a grip truck let me know and I'll put you in touch with him.

Just writing about all this made me tired. OMG, what will I do when I have a baby?!?!?! (No, I'm not pregnant and I'm not trying YET!)

That’s it for now. Hopefully Christine and Laura will blog soon.

xoxo,
Lucy

In the Spirit of Good Karma

Please take some time to read the article below. I cringed as I read it (and I know Christine and Laura will too). In a much smaller, minute, miniscule, itty bitty scale (our budget was nowhere near what this was) it hit very close to home for different reasons.

This blog was supposed to be an honest account of the making of Love 10 to 1. In the last four years (it took about two to write, with writers and directors coming and going) we've endured a lot of hardships and met a lot of scummy people. In the spirit of Good Karma, we've refrained from blogging about certain experiences.

Christine, Laura and I got together last week and I urged them to blog. The subject of what should/shouldn't we blog about came up. Again, we decided that certain things should be kept private. Christine said her blogging would discourage other filmmakers, but we agreed that we should all blog about the unpleasant situations we've encountered. I'm just not there yet.

I promise that at some point, maybe when the film is completed, we will each take the time to share those experiences with our readers. We are not interested in discouraging anyone's dreams, just giving you a reality check on what it takes to put your money where your dreams are in order to make them come true.

With all of that said, we have also met AMAZING people along the way and collected an enormous amount of experience and resources.

At the end of the day I am grateful for it all.

xoxo,

Lucy

Would You Dump This Woman?

Amy Heckerling's production conflicts -- We hear from the writer/director of ''I Could Never Be Your Woman'' about release delays and bitter studio battles

By Missy Schwartz Article from Entertainment Weekly online

Amy Heckerling sounds demoralized. She's up against a deadline on her new movie, and she just can't ''find'' the scene she's working on. She doesn't mean that in some airy, artsy way. She's not trying to locate the scene's heartbeat or distill its essence. No, when Heckerling says she can't find the scene, she means it literally: She doesn't know where it is. More than two years ago, she wrote and directed I Could Never Be Your Woman, a romantic comedy starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd. The movie is finally set for a Feb. 12 release, and Heckerling has spent the past few weeks hunting for a previously deleted sequence that, apparently, no longer exists. ''I had to go through all my old dailies until I found the crappy, unmixed, undigitized version,'' she says. ''I don't even know why I bother. The missing elements? Who the f--- knows where they are? The company lost them.''

The company in question is the beleaguered, three-year-old Bauer Martinez Entertainment, and the missing scene is just one of the countless setbacks in the film's torturous journey to release. It's a bizarre saga in which salaries were slashed, deals disintegrated, and millions in potential revenue were lost. The one thing all parties agree on is that it's baffling that a movie with two well-known actors, directed by the woman behind Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless, wound up in the home-video refuse pile. That's right: After coming this close to a theatrical release more times than Heckerling can remember, I Could Never Be Your Woman is going straight to DVD.

We're all familiar with the story of the $200 million blockbuster that weathers misfortune on its way to the multiplex. Woman, however, is something of a subcultural curio. It's a modestly budgeted indie that, while far from perfect, never got the chance it deserved, hitting every speed bump and knocking over every traffic cone along the way. The experience has been one of the most frustrating of Heckerling's 26-year career — and, incidentally, coincided with the illness of both her parents, whom she was nursing through heart ailments and chemotherapy. The director has yet to wrap her head around it all. ''I don't know what to say because I don't have all the information. I don't know what goes on behind my back.... I always feel like, if you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything.'' She sighs. ''Bitterness is so ugly. I don't want to go there.''
Normally, Heckerling is the last person you'd describe as glum. A 53-year-old, Bronx-born spitfire with a biting sense of humor, she's worked steadily within the studio system since making a name for herself with Fast Times in 1982. But she's always positioned herself as a rebellious outsider. She refuses to be a mere helmer-for-hire, preferring to write and direct her own material, such as 1989's $140 million hit Look Who's Talking. Heckerling dismisses patronizing Hollywood suits with just three words: ''Screw 'em all.'' As Rudd puts it, ''She swears, she's hilarious, and her no-bulls--- meter is right in line.''

The inspiration for I Could Never Be Your Woman came to Heckerling in the mid-'90s, when she was exec-producing ABC's adaptation of Clueless and raising a preteen girl alone. (Her daughter, Mollie, is now 21.) Every day, she felt increasingly ambivalent about working in an industry that promotes unrealistic standards of beauty for young girls and considers women over 40 to be prehistoric beasts. In 1999, Heckerling poured those feelings into a script about a divorced teen-soap producer (Pfeiffer) who falls for a younger man (Rudd) while trying to guide her daughter through adolescence. The producer grapples with idiot executives and pampered young stars with spray-on abs, not to mention the terror of being a fortysomething at a rock club. Then the network cans her — because she's not hip enough.

The screenplay found a home at Paramount, but in an unfortunate case of life imitating art, the studio put it on hold. ''There was some concern about doing a movie with an older female protagonist — not anybody's favorite demographic,'' says Heckerling. (Paramount had no comment.) It didn't help that the director's last effort, 2000's Jason Biggs comedy Loser, lived up to its title, grossing a tepid $15.6 million. Eventually the script made its way to Pfeiffer, who'd been MIA since 2002's White Oleander. The three-time Oscar nominee was not the power player she once was, but she managed to revive the project. Heckerling's then agent at CAA found a guy to foot the bill: a Hollywood newcomer named Philippe Martinez. Terrific news. Right?

A Frenchman who has financed and produced some two dozen movies and directed the Jean-Claude Van Damme flick Wake of Death, Martinez, 39, came to L.A. in 2005 boasting a $200 million line of credit and grand plans to make Bauer Martinez Entertainment the biggest indie studio the States had ever seen. For him, Hollywood represented a fresh start: In 1999, he spent 14 months in a California detention center unsuccessfully fighting extradition to France for a fraud conviction related to his former film company; he later served six months in a French jail. Martinez's checkered past — combined with his penchant for smoking cigars and tooling around town in a chauffeured Bentley — fascinated the press, which labeled him, as he puts it, ''a wild cat.'' ''Every time an article has been written about me,'' he says, ''they feel like they have to mention something that happened 12 years ago. 'Oh, my God, that guy was convicted for fraud!''' (Touché monsieur.)

With a $25 million budget in place, Heckerling recruited her Clueless leading man Rudd to play Pfeiffer's beau. She discovered the young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan — now an Oscar nominee for Atonement — and cast her as the precocious daughter who crank-calls Henry Winkler and insists her Ken doll has Alzheimer's. Shooting began in August 2005 — only not in L.A. To take advantage of tax breaks, Martinez set up production in the U.K. Dressing up London to look like L.A. struck Heckerling as odd, but then so did Martinez. Of one poolside lunch meeting, she offers these surreal memories: ''We were in some tents. I think he was in a bathrobe. Giant cigars all the time.'' Next to Martinez's imposing figure, Heckerling ''felt like the scruffy little Jew.''

By the time Heckerling wrapped Woman in late 2005, Martinez had learned that distributing his own movies was tougher than he'd imagined. ''Philippe didn't have a real understanding of what he was getting into,'' says a source. Fortunately, MGM agreed to distribute three Bauer Martinez movies, the first of which was supposed to be Heckerling's.

But for every fortunately in Heckerling's life, an unfortunately was close behind. To keep Woman's budget down, Martinez had persuaded Pfeiffer to reduce her salary to $1 million as an advance on 15 percent of the gross. MGM, however, balked at the prospect of waiting for the star to collect her take before it made any profits of its own, especially since the studio was also shouldering marketing costs. So despite positive test screenings, MGM shelved Woman — the same day that Pfeiffer was due to board a plane and kick off the PR campaign.

Desperate to save the MGM agreement, Martinez went to work renegotiating Pfeiffer's deal. During this time, Heckerling recalls, ''he kept telling me, 'You have to talk to Michelle. It's her fault.' I'm like, how bad do I feel putting her in a movie that she worked so hard on — and now I have to tell her to reduce [her pay]?'' By January 2007, this all became moot: The MGM deal was off. The studio declined to comment, but the split came at a dire time for Bauer Martinez. After just a year and a half, the company had racked up a $100 million debt. The would-be super-indie, whose logo depicts a soaring biplane, seemed on the verge of a crash-and-burn landing.

Plenty of studios considered taking Woman off Martinez's hands — until they learned he had already signed away DVD and non-pay-TV rights to The Weinstein Company. That decision made sense when he was distributing it himself. Now? Not so much. As Heckerling puts it, ''When you've already given away DVD, you're saying, 'Here, buy my baby. I've cut its legs off, but it's still cute.''' While her movie hung in limbo, Heckerling and Co. stood by. ''I remember asking Amy, 'What's going on?''' says Rudd. ''And she'd just go, 'I have no f---ing idea.'''

One final fortunately arrived last summer, when Martinez laid out a deal with indie distributor Freestyle Releasing. He also partnered with Blue Rider Pictures, a financing firm that helped fund Rescue Dawn and would kick in $10-12 million for marketing. Under the new plan, Woman would hit 1,200 theaters in fall of 2007. Unfortunately, Blue Rider insisted that Pfeiffer commit to a full publicity campaign. The company contends that the actress declined to do PR because she was unhappy with the small-scale release. Pfeiffer's camp, meanwhile, contends that that's ridiculous. According to her publicist, Pfeiffer was willing to promote the movie, but there wasn't enough money for advertising and Martinez had already given up on a theatrical release. Says Heckerling: ''You can't blame Michelle for saying, This is not what I signed up for.'' Martinez blames her anyway. ''Money is more important for some people,'' he says. ''Maybe movie stars should just make movies with studios.''

For all this finger-pointing, everyone wound up on the same team: the losing one. In May, Martinez will watch another high-profile project, the Richard Gere thriller The Flock, go directly to DVD. Still, Martinez claims he's reduced his debt to $10 million and will continue to distribute internationally. He even has plans to direct again.
Moving on has been harder for Heckerling. Though her mother's cancer is in remission, her father has passed away. ''It's been a crappy year,'' she says. She's ''too bummed'' to feel proud of the film and fears it suffered from the delays. The dated references — to Will & Grace, UPN, and The WB — do seem jarring in a movie from a filmmaker synonymous with pop cultural savvy. ''I was always afraid some of the jokes would end up stale,'' says Rudd. ''Amy doesn't make movies every year.... It's a real shame.''

Heckerling doesn't know when she'll direct again. ''I don't want to work for the hell of it,'' she says. ''I get offered: 'Here's a girl who's mad at another girl for having a wedding on the same day.' That'll be a big hit, but I don't want to do that.'' Will she eventually come back fighting? ''It would be fun to say, Oh, you can't keep me down, blah, blah, blah.'' She slips into her trademark deadpan. ''But I haven't had that much coffee yet today.''

(additional reporting by Vanessa Juarez and Nicole Sperling)..insert tvFranSecondaryLink2-->
Posted Feb 01, 2008 Published in issue 977 Feb 08, 2008 Order Article Reprints

Movies By Women Audio Podcast 05: FOCUS ON FEMALE DIRECTORS

http://www.moviesbywomen.com/podcasts.php

MBW Audio Podcast 05: Focus on Female Directors
Release Date: 2008/01/31
Running Time: 33:57
Format & Size: Quicktime MP3 7.2MB

This week in the MoviesByWomen audio podcast 05: In Episode 5, regular hosts Tara Veneruso, Stephanie Young, Lucy Rodriguez Watson, and Heidi Martinuzzi chat with Kim Adelman (indiewire.com columnist and author of "The Ultimate Guide to Chick Flicks", among others) about the American Cinematheque's Focus on Female Directors, whether group screenings should "use" celebrities, the relative merits of film festival goodie bags and special women director programs.

SHOW NOTES FOR AUDIO PODCAST EPISODE 05:
This episode hosts include Tara Veneruso, Stephanie Young, Lucy Rodriguez Watson, and Heidi Martinuzzi. Special Guest was Kim Adelman, indiewire.com columnist, and author of such books as "The Ultimate Guide to Chick Flicks". You can read more about Kim at www.kimadelman.com/
Further shownotes pending, still nee to be transcribed!
And our podcast host, 1245_VINE_industries: 1245Vine.com

Why Good Karma Films?

So Laura and I promised Lucy that we would start blogging more often.  I can't speak for Laura, but for me I desperately needed time off from this production to recharge my batteries, hence the extended hiatus from blogging. My apologies.

We are still trying to find an editor for the footage that we shot in Round I.  The search for a good, non-flakey editor has been very difficult.  I'm sure it's because we don't have a lot of money to offer a professional editor, so the people who have responded have been very unreliable (or very expensive).  I find that that kind of behavior would not be acceptable in most industries save the entertainment industry.  Perhaps it is the freelance mentality of the indie filmmaking world that allows people to treat business encounters as casually as a one-night stand, consequences be damned.  

When we first got together to talk about this project and discussed setting up a production company, I played around with various names for the production company.  I'm a big believer that all of our actions, good and bad, have consequences (even when no one is watching).  Good Karma Films was born with the hope that despite the dog-eat-dog mentality of the Biz, we could maintain our integrity on this journey that we have chosen as our career path.  Perhaps it's just the naivete of the uninitiated and perhaps we would find ourselves compromising ideals in the pursuit of success somewhere along the way.  I hope not.  I feel extremely blessed to have found two other similarly-minded kindred spirits as my co-directors on this film...they too believe that integrity matters and live their lives accordingly.  So choose your partners wisely, make sure you share the same vision--not just the destination but how to get there.      

 

Don't F*CK w/SAG

My Sag rep almost gave me a heart attack the other day because he has not received my SAG paper work for the two days of shooting for Love Song. We played phone tag for about a 2 weeks. It was very hard getting through to him on the phone and the last message that he left me said something along the lines of being fined and getting an injunction put on the film EEEEEEEEEEEK!

This is the last thing any filmmaker wants to hear. I sent him an email letting him know that I had sent the paperwork and had the tracking number from the post office. I told him I had copies I could send him. The email was followed by another two calls and finally, on Monday we spoke.

All is good now, I can breathe again. He said I can send him the copies but I need to sign a few documents that they need originals of.

The almost heart attack is over and I'm grateful to my SAG rep for following up on the status of the project. So to all your actors out there, your union does work for you:-)

I love my actors and I would never mess with their union. Despite what Christine may have said on one of the earlier blogs, WE LOVE SAG.

xoxo,
Lucy

Our Cast - Part II - Love Song (Dirty Virgin's Gig)

Onahoua & The Fabulous Miss Wendy

Onahoua, The Fabulous Miss Wendy & Gerry - Where's Justin??

Onahoua & The Fabulous Miss Wendy

Onahoua


We are waiting on additional pics because apparently someone has all the pics of David Villar (Dustin). You can scroll down and see him with ME. Yes, I know, I'm the envy of all the girls but if you ask nicely, he'll hug you & pose for a picture with you too:-)

I have a hot pic of Justin taking his shirt off but I should ask him if it's ok to post yet another picture of him w/out a shirt - what do you say Justin?

xoxo,
Lucy

Lydia - Onahoua's play - Variety Review

If you should speak to or email Ona, she does not want to hear about the reviews (even when they are good).



Lydia

(Space Theater, Denver; 235 seats; $48 top) A Denver Center Theater Company presentation of a play in two acts by Octavio Solis. Directed by Juliette Carillo.

Ceci - Onahoua Rodriguez
Misha - Carlo Alban
Rene - Rene Millan
Rosa - Catalina Maynard
Claudio - Ricardo Guitierrez
Alvaro - Christian Barillas
Lydia - Stephanie Beatriz

By BOB BOWS

Catharsis and dysfunction battle for the last word in Octavio Solis' poetic and psychologically disturbing new work, "Lydia," world-premiering as part of the Colorado New Play Summit. Ceci, who suffered a traumatic head injury in a car accident three days before her quinceanera, lives in two worlds: one clear-thinking and lyrical at the core of her otherwise damaged brain, and the other spasmodic and gurgling, unable to communicate with the outside world. Together, these disparate worlds provide a recipe for magical realism with a psycho-physiological twist.

As the narrator, Ceci (Onahoua Rodriguez) lucidly shares her inner-most thoughts and desires with the audience, painting a landscape filled with dreamy images; as a character, she struggles to communicate her most basic needs with her Mexican immigrant family in El Paso, Texas.

Her mother, Rosa (Catalina Maynard) -- exhausted from her daily trials of tending to Ceci, her surly husband and two demanding sons -- takes a job to get out of the house. Enter Lydia (Stephanie Beatriz), a young and attractive illegal, as the family's new maid.

"Who are you?" asks younger son Misha (Carlo Alban). Indeed, as scribe Solis plays it out, we wonder whether she is the Angel of Mercy or of Death. The answer depends upon our existential disposition; it also determines whether the play is a comedy or tragedy. The script's detailed examination of diverse subject matter -- ranging from Hispanic immigration and assimilation to materialism to incest -- argues for tragedy, but the characters' happiness depends upon comedy.

In the scribe's hyperbolic storyline, the dark side wins out, as sexual boundaries fall prey to taboos and the poetry of despair. Instead of an instrument of healing, Lydia serves as a catalyst for further family dysfunction and disintegration. Plot twists offering comedic resolutions to the central conflict of Ceci's salvation are ignored.

Miracles abound, however, in the performances, led by a transcendent Rodriguez, who alternately breaks the fourth wall, sharing Ceci's poetic and passionate soul, and then breaks our hearts, struggling to express these feelings to her family.

Beatriz's beatific equanimity infuses Lydia with enigmatic qualities that heighten the scribe's intended moral ambiguity. Alban, as Misha, forces us to admire the young man's courage, even if we find his choices untenable. Rene Millan crafts an edgy and unsettled Rene, the older brother wrestling with his sexuality in a macho culture.

We empathize with Maynard's Rosa, whose American dream has gone sadly awry. Ricardo Guitierrez, as Claudio, the husband and father, harnesses the anger and tristesse of the dispossessed immigrant everyman, each appearance generating palpable tension. And Christian Barillas's Alvaro, the distant cousin and former beau to Ceci, pains us with his misplaced patriotic zeal offered as proof of an American pedigree.

Scribe demands attention with his jazzy mix of Spanglish, poetry, pop lyrics, magical realism and emotional insight, but allows shock value to overtake the imperatives of character, leaving us bereft of a transformative experience.

Set, Antje Ellermann; costumes, Christal Weatherly; lighting, Charles R. MacLeod; original music, Chris Webb; sound, Kimberly Fuhr; fight direction, Geoffrey Kent; production stage manager, Lyle Raper. Opened Jan. 24, 2008. Reviewed Jan. 25. Running time: 2 HOURS, 35 MIN.



Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&r=VE1117935968&c=33

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Movies By Women Audio Podcast 04: DIRECTORS' CAREER PATH

http://www.moviesbywomen.com/podcasts.php

MBW Audio Podcast 04: Movies we wish were directed by women
Release Date: 2008/01/24
Running Time: 47:06
Format & Size: Quicktime MP3 30.2MB
This week in the MoviesByWomen audio podcast 04: In Episode 4, the ladies discuss their career path and the hurdles of working a full time job while directing a film. They chat about upcoming films by women, where is actress Alicia Silverstone, the correct pronunciation of actor Ralph Fiennes, and the topic of documentary filmmaking.

SHOW NOTES FOR AUDIO PODCAST EPISODE 04:

This episode hosts include Tara Veneruso, Stephanie Young, Lucy Rodriguez Watson, and Heidi Martinuzzi.
This week’s Resources:
IMDB: www.imdb.com http://www.IMDB.com
NY Magazine, NY Times, LA Times (film sections)
indiefilmlove10to1.blogspot.com
Melissa Silverstein’s Blog: womenandhollywood.blogspot.com
New York Women In Film and Television: nywift.org
RISK the movie: girlsbehindthecamera.com

Upcoming Films directed by women (our recommendations):
(Lucy) I Could Never Be Your Woman, directed by Amy Heckerling
(Heidi) Stop Loss, directed by Kimberly Pierce
(Stephanie) The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Visit the Alliance of Women Directors online at: allianceofwomendirectors.com
And our podcast host, 1245_VINE_industries: 1245Vine.com

Our Cast - Love 10 to 1 (The first story) Jenny & her girlfriends

Ashley, Jesse, Shireen & Cazzie

Ashley, Jesse, Shireen & Cazzie

Jesse, Shireen & Cazzie

Christine directs the ladies



xoxo,
Lucy

Review: "Lydia" – Onahoua’s new play

If you should speak to or email Ona, she does not want to hear about the reviews (even when they are good).

http://www.denverpost.com/theater/ci_8086972


xoxo,

Lucy

Show Some Love To My New Blog - The Canyon Nymphs

It's still a work in progress, I need to add some pictures and when the rain lets up, maybe trek on new grounds.

http://thecanyonnymphs.blogspot.com


Take A Hike,

Lucy

Our Super Crew - Part II

The Directors (with Shireen) - Christine, Lucy, Shireen & Laura

Dominik (our A.D.) & Brian

Justin & Jenna (one of our Producers)

Matt, Brian & Carrie

Lynn, Brian, Jenna & Lucy

The Oscars

Another year without a nomination for a female director - Julie Taymor's Across The Universe should have been a contender.

We'll take what we can get - Congratualtions Ladies.

Adapted Screenplay: Sarah Polley “Away from Her";

Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno";
Nancy Oliver, "Lars and the Real Girl";
Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages."

Best animated feature film: Marjane Satrapi (co-director) "Persepolis"

I'm very upset that Frank Langella's performance in Starting Out In The Evening was overlooked.

Lucy

Movies By Women - AUDIO Podcasts 02 & 03

http://www.moviesbywomen.com/podcasts.php

MBW Audio Podcast 02: Teens & Film History, Writer's Strike
Release Date: 2008/01/10
Running Time: 36:34
Format & Size: Quicktime MP3 29.3MB
This week in the MoviesByWomen audio podcast 02: Join us as we discuss the writer’s strike, first time director mistakes, teens learning to make films, pitfalls of actor/producers, and film sound. Our hosts include Tara Veneruso, Stephanie Young, Lucy Rodriguez Watson, and Heidi Martinuzzi. Don't forget to tune into the "What do British people eat?" segment at the end of the show!

SHOW NOTES FOR AUDIO PODCAST EPISODE 02:

This episode hosts include Tara Veneruso, Stephanie Young, Lucy Rodriguez Watson, and Heidi Martinuzzi.
Other resources include: girlsbehindthecamera.com
The Writer’s Guild: www.wga.org
Visit the Alliance of Women Directors online: allianceofwomendirectors.com
And our podcast host, 1245_VINE_industries: 1245Vine.com


http://www.moviesbywomen.com/podcasts.php

MBW Audio Podcast 03: Movies we wish were directed by women
Release Date: 2008/01/17
Running Time: 35:25
Format & Size: Quicktime MP3 28.4MB
This week in the MoviesByWomen audio podcast 03: The team each share a unique experience or challenge that they faced during a day of film production. We become better filmmakers by learning from our (and others) mistakes, so let us spread the wealth! Also, we discuss movies we wish were directed by women, the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake, and we discuss with chagrin why historical women filmmakers have almost vanished from film history.

SHOW NOTES FOR AUDIO PODCAST EPISODE 03:

This episode hosts include Tara Veneruso, Stephanie Young, Lucy Rodriguez Watson, and Heidi Martinuzzi.
This week’s Resources:
Independent Women Filmmakers: independentwomenfilmmakers.com
Film Independent: filmindependent.org
The First Weekenders Group: moviesbywomen.com/fwg.php
Mandy.com mandy.com
And our podcast host, 1245_VINE_industries: 1245Vine.com

http://www.moviesbywomen.com/podcasts.php

Movies By Women - AUDIO Podcast 01: INTRODUCTION & DIRECTORS WE'RE WATCHING

One of the things I keep myself busy with is Movies by Women. Check out the website at http://www.moviesbywomen.com/

Join the First Weekender’s Group and support women directed features by seeing them the first weekend they are in the theaters. http://www.moviesbywomen.com/fwg.php

We just started doing audio podcasts. These have been a lot of fun and I get to work with another group of talented women. The podcasts are four women and guests discussing various topics as they relate to films, filmmaking and how we as women can encourage and empower others to make movies. The first four episodes were a bit on the long side but we are going to keep the rest to 30 minutes.

Tara Veneruso who runs Movies by Women is someone I consider a mentor and a friend. I met her when she was teaching a seminar on digital filmmaking at Film Independent a few years ago. Alliance of Women Director’s Stephanie Young, and PrettyScary.net’s Heidi Martinuzzi are also on board. I look forward to a fruitful collaboration with them.

So what are you waiting for – check out the 1st of the podcasts.

http://www.moviesbywomen.com/podcasts.php

Scroll to the middle of the page and click on AUDIO PODCAST 01: INTRODUCTION & DIRECTORS WE'RE WATCHING.

xoxo,
Lucy

Our Super Crew - Part I

The Camera Crew - Isaiah, Leah, Paul & Sandra

Grip & Electric - Casey, Jeff & Brian (Amy our script sup. in background)

Carrie the sound master

Leah

Sandra

Greetings Folks & Welcome to 2008

I’m very excited at the possibilities this year holds for me. Love Song will finally see the light of day. I’m so excited about that, I’ve lived with these characters for so long and it will be such a relief to FINALLY bring them to life. My actors are AMAZING and I deeply love and appreciate their contribution. Onahoua Rodriguez, David Villar, Justin Klosky, Daniella Alonso and Mari Marks are wonderful people and I am so blessed that they are still with me despite the length of time it’s taken.

During the last round of production I made a lot changes to the script. Changes that were not in the best interest of the story. After the first round of production, I went through a period of hibernation. I’ve seen Christine and Laura three times since November. Most of that time was spent getting my energy back and enjoying the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.

In early December I re-read the script and IT SUCKED. I went back to the version that I intended on shooting and changed one of the scenes that took place in Dustin’s office. That scene now takes place at Shane and Dustin’s house. The day we had the office, I was not able to shoot my scenes and we were not going to be able to go back to that location. I guess things happen for a reason because the story is where I need it to be and having that scene take place in the house makes more sense.

Our production guru Brian Sorbo gave me a great piece of advice. He told me that “You never get to go back to your projects...time pushes on relentlessly. What you do now you live with for the rest of your life, so it is imperative that you speak with your true voice. You must live your life and create your projects from your heart. Nothing else will survive. The things that you do from your heart will feed you throughout your life.” He’s right. I will carry this with me forever because it’s so true.

I got swept up in the momentum of certain situations and I lost sight and sound of my voice. With so many people telling you so many different ways to do something you sometimes forget to ask yourself how to get it done. You should listen to the advice of others but you must trust your instincts and follow your heart and mind. The best way to sum it up is to heed Polonius' advice to his son Laertes in Hamlet; “This above all: to thine own self be true”.

I am also super excited because I heard the song that The Fabulous Miss Wendy wants me to shoot a video for. In exchange for using her song in my film, I told her I’d shoot a video for one of the songs on her upcoming album. The song is called “Jailbait”. I’ll let you know when it’s on iTunes. I sent her two treatments and I’ll see which one she likes. Jenna Edwards is going to produce that for me. Jenna and I want to shoot 3-4 videos for bands we know and use that to generate work directing and producing music videos.

I did not make any resolutions this year, except to keep on working towards my goals.

I hope 2008 proves to be a successful year for all. Onward & Upwards

xoxo,

Lucy