Mastery

On ashoot I directed a couple weeks ago, we were working with two fo the top stunt motorcycle riders in Hollywood.  What impressed me most was just the extreme professionalism and mastery these guys had.  Every take they did was right.  They moved the bikes like Yo Yo Ma plays the violin. 

There is something about mastery which is fantastic to be around and you can sense the mastery consciousness on someone. 

Anytime I've known someone who is a master of their art or craft, there is always one element.  It is part of their life....Read more

Unnatural Behavior

Unnatural behavīor in cinema.

Still working incessant hours, but I'm going to try to write about something which crossed my mind in the course of work this week and hopefully it will make sense or resonate with someone interested in cinema storytelling.

Sometimes I think when you're directing, you're controlling a virtual barometer of your audience.  You create tension and release it.   Very much like designers use contrast and flow to guide their audience through their work, filmmakers use these and many more d...Read more

Your One item To Do List

At the beginning of every year I set a few must accomplish goals for the year.  I always try to make them realistic but challenging.

My mother once conveyed to me wisdom from business education - "Every day there can only be one more important thing."

I think you could say that of a year too.

So, what I'd like to know, is what is YOUR one most important thing for next year?

Thinking Visually

Had my first day of the TV show shoot today.  Just a quick thought.  Many of the crew were very nice to compliment how I think "so" visually - but on the drive home I was thinking that I do not think visually, I think emotionally and translate those emotions visually.  If you think visually, there is not context for your choices.  If you think emotionally - you're choices are helping you to express a moment.  To translate, you are using a set of tools and experience.

Drive-by blogging - back to work.

Need non-SAG Asian Actress with Accent in Los Angeles

My company is managing a production that shoots right after Thanksgiving in and around Los Angeles.  It's an educational video (teaches English by watching scenes in English).  We need a non-union Asian actress who either has an accent or can do a great one who (most important) is good with comedy.  The accent can be anything, but a chinese accent is prefered.  (In reality the character could be non-Asian with another accent, but it was scrīpted as Chinese, so we're trying not to rock the boat too...Read more

Decisions

Power is gained by making decisions.

So often we worry about making the right choice when, in reality, the result of many decisions are simply based on random luck.

If you make decisions based on an educated guess - you have a greater than not chance of being right and with enough decisions, you will come out ahead in the long run.

Most of the successful people I've spent time with are very decisive in their approach to everything.

Be sure to calculate risk.  If you're deciding to spend your enitre life savin...Read more

Tragedy vs. Comedy

Tragedy is when the only possible choice to be made is the worst possible option.

Comedy is when the only possible choice to be made is the worst possible option... and it's a little silly.

Forgiveness

Many years ago an acting teacher shared this thought with me:

"Forgiveness is something you do for yourself and not for others."

I found it interesting just because it's simple, but something I hadn't really thought about before.  I think it's hard to forgive sometimes - yet the beneficiary really is the forgiver.  If you do not forgive, you carry around the anger or pain.  If you can forgive, you are releasing your obligation to feel that anger or pain.

It's a tough one and I'm not a master a...Read more

Shabbiness Doesn't Matter

A quote from The Veveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams:

"Weeks passed, and the little Rabbit grew very old and shabby, but the Boy loved him just as much. He loved him so hard that he loved all his whiskers off, and the pink lining to his ears turned grey, and his brown spots faded. He even began to lose his shape, and he scarcely looked like a rabbit any more, except to the Boy. To him he was always beautiful, and that was all that the little Rabbit cared about. He didn't mind how he looked to other people, beca...Read more

Do Someone a Favor: Hurt Them

People so often cause more trouble by trying to be kind than just being honest.  People fear communicating the truth - especially when it hurts.

A friend fell in love with a boy who is really too much of a player - something she didn't understand because they'd never communicated about it  So when she started showing her desire to be his girlfriend, he backed away - but instead of saying "this will never work" - he didn't want to hurt her feelings probably and said "Maybe someday we can be tog...Read more