DVD Format War

News on the ongoing format war. It's looking like the blue laser technology may win out.

Who's Your Daddy?

Poor Pedro.

Yes, it's true. My wife's pregnant with a due date of April 8th. Just about everyone has known for a while. I felt weird blogging about it, so I haven't. But plenty of people have baby watch blogs, I'm sure. Will I? Heck no. But I'll make the announcement.

Miscellaneous

The Broncos and their #1 defense stifled the Raiders. It's a good day anytime the Raiders lose.

Jandek makes his first ever appearance.

I feel like I'm in the film industry with The Glove Box, starring in Brock's movie and filming i hate you when you're pregnant for Alex at The Modified. It's fun seeing him once or twice, but anymore than that... My wife hates that name for obvious reasons.

My wife and I bought a new stove. I'm excited. Now to see if I can properly blame the old stove for bad bakes.

We've been experiencing wonderful weather in Phoenix this week. It is for that reason I don't want to work.

Stuff

I haven't looked at Second Nature's website in a long time, but when I was just now scrolling through the news I saw that Rocky Votolato's new album comes out Spring 2005. And it's called "Makers". Great!

Side note: I got my first film back from the lab. Now I get to edit it.

My second film

So I shot my second film today, with Gabe and my crew, at Postal Connections of America. I'm waaaaaaayyy too tired to type up a long post, or think of anything meaningful, but I felt that Gabe did a really good job. Especially since we were filming on cue, with very little rehearsal in between shots. We did do many takes of various shots however, especially complex ones, so I hope I sated Gabe's acting desire. Either way, he did a great job, and so did the store's manager. Yeah, the store's manager, Fred, was in the film. It's an inside joke within an inside joke, but for a guy who had never read the script and only knew the basic outline, he played the part very well. It was an honor to shoot in his store, especially since so many other mailbox rental stores turned me away.

So the film will either be called The Other Side, or, perhaps the more dynamic, Outside In. You kind of have to understand the story to understand the titles...but I'll explain it later.

Anyhoo, like I said, Gabe did a bang-up job. He took the day off from work, and I owe him money for stamps. But he was great. I knew he would be perfect for the part. My first film, Pantomiming, had a very happy-go-lucky character. So I knew right off the bat that I wanted my next character to be a little darker, a little more disturbed. Gabe was the first actor that popped into my head for the role. He's edgier then previous actors I've worked with. It seems like there's something going on inside his head in every scene, and we're only privy to little glimpses of it. So, he turned around a fantastic performance. Visually, I'm happy with the film as well. We pulled off a few technical/experimental exposures and shots that I was a little too timid to try on my first film. I hope it paid off for this story.

So that's that.

1st run

I got off my team's first film shoot about two hours ago. Overall, I think it was productive, but I'm going to be reading up and studying hard before my shoot next week. You can tell who had experience on the set and who didn't. I just hope it was a good learning experience for those who haven't gotten a chance to work with the equipment before, and I know it solidified a few of the things I had a grasp of. Now I just want to keep increasing and strengthening my knowledge. The more the better.

Something familiar...

Yeah, we'll do something biiiig for the 1000th post. It'll take us a while to get there, but we'll have plenty of time to plan.

I've got nothing important to say, but feast your eyes on this. It's the Episode III teaser poster. After watching the A New Hope DVD, this new poster seems especially potent.

Smile

Oh, man! The 500th post was supposed to have been marked with a special post. Brock, you blew it. Just kidding man! Your "Onward and Upward" post was the 500th. Way to go. We'll do something big on 1000.

Speaking of Pet Sounds, Smile was released last week, almost 40 years later. It’s the album that was supposed to have been the grandiose follow-up to Pet Sounds. Issues came up, Brian Wilson went mental, and the album was shelved. The album became mythical, legendary. Boots started popping up everywhere through the years. What was recorded was released in much later years, but without Brian Wilson’s supervision.

So, recently Brian Wilson decided to revisit Smile. But instead of working with the originally recorded material, he decided to redo the whole thing. Not to change it so much, but to have freshly recorded sounds. One major drawback to this, is his voice. It’s definitely not the same. His backup group “The Wondermints” did do a great job in carrying the high notes and harmonies, but it’s just not the same as when it was Wilson and company in their peak.

I haven’t had the chance to listen to all of it at a decent volume yet, so, once I do, maybe I’ll review it. Already, though, it has its high points.

Tid-bits

Long post 'morrow...

-Blogger says we've got 503 posts. Right on! Congrads Gabe! We've obviously had plenty of success with this blog. Thanks to everyone who reads it and comments on it too.

-So Billy Corgan is done with his new album. I hope, hope, hope it's good. I really like the Pumpkins stuff, but I'm not a huge fan of Zwan. He seems really angry as of late (thanks to his ex-bandmates) so maybe this new album will be a little edgier then Zwan.

-Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney are recording an album together I guess. That's neat. I heard they did a song together, but that it was terrible. Still...I got interested in McCartney's songwriting a few months ago, and I know Gabe's a Pet Sounds nut; hopefully this will live up to our tastes.

-So I hear that Josh saw the Forgotten, and he thought the camerawork was a little shaky. Gabe saw The Bourne Supremacy and he thought the same thing. What is it with shaky camerawork and Hollywood these days? It doesn't work folks. I think they're either (a) Trying to get that "indie" look in their films or (b) like Josh said, using the shots to underscore the confusion felt by the story's characters.

(a) Trying to get the "indie" look is a bad idea. Major motion pictures have resources at their fingertips that I'll probably never be able to touch. They should enjoy them and make the movies look good so I have something to look forward to. (b) You can convey confusion in ways less annoying.

-I'm lovin' the new Star Wars DVDs. They're great. Yeah, they are also lacking in a lot of ways, but it's Star Wars. No, let me rephrase that, it's GOOD Star Wars. The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones are good for fun and all...but the old movies were the best. I'm really glad they're finally on DVD.

-Also, I picked up that Weezer DVD. I hear their new album is "done" as well. Well, done as in the recording is done. Who knows if Rivers will reject this one as well?

-Brock

Post It Up, Peeps!

It has been quiet around the blog front. I have been pretty busy at work, plus I don’t have much worthwhile tidbits to blog about.

Brock, I read your review on the new The Moon is No More album. Sorry, I happened to see it in our blog as a draft. I was like “hmm, what’s this?” I hope you don’t feel violated. I thought it was a great review and you should post it. I don’t think Josh and Jeremy will feel bad that you trashed it. KIDDING! It was actually a pretty glowing review.

I do want to record a song and post it. I’m tired of not having one under my belt. I’m sort of a perfectionist when it comes to writing a song. I’ve had many ideas and I’ve started a few in the past, including a Modest Mouse cover. But I always find something I don’t like and trash it. Even if it’s just a minor “strummed the strings a little funky” thing, I get rid of it. I really need to let go. I’m going to try hard. I may even have something by Monday. Stay tuned. Any advice from you seasoned writer/recorders?

Go/No Go

It's been unusually quiet around the blogs this week. I think everyone's either busy with work or school or life and no one has had the time to post much of anything. I did write up a lengthy review of Josh and Jeremy's Jeffery L. Allen that I wanted to post, but I'm not sure if it's the most honorable of things to do. (I didn't think of that when writing it, I just tend to write reviews out of habit). Either way, it's a good album. It's been in pretty heavy rotation in my CD player for the last few weeks. You should check it out when it's released.

Congratulate Yourselves

Jeffery L. Allen - Album Review

When I first began compiling my thoughts about Jeffery L. Allen, I questioned if I should even be writing a review of the album. Two friends of mine recorded Allen after all. Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t that I feared upsetting them with what I had to say. Rather, I questioned my own personal abilities as a critic and a writer to objectively review their material. I had laid down sharp standards for the likes of Radiohead, Modest Mouse and the Beastie Boys. But I also didn’t personally know any of those artists. Josh and Jeremy are two guys who I talk to regularly online (and in Josh’s case, regularly see in Phoenix). I consider them good friends, I enjoy their blog, and I think they’re nice guys. Regardless of what quality the band lends itself to, crappy or not, I considered that I might not be able to offer anything truly constructive about their album as a result of that friendship. Thus, I decided to pose even higher standards upon my two friends. If I had been critical about the Beastie Boys, I’d be even harder on Jeremy and Josh. If I’d critiqued Modest Mouse, I’d question every little hook and beat The Moon is No More threw my way. In short, I’d run my friends through the strainer.

And in spite of it all, I ended up enjoying the album anyway.

Yes, The Moon is No More delivered on their long awaited first album with a unique tale about divorce, dissolution and the depression that follows. Beforehand, 727 records could boast about groups like Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl. Now, the label’s two co-founders have something of their own to boast about.
The large part of that boasting has to do with the band’s unique storytelling methods, which sharply follow the arc of the album’s character, Jeffery L. Allen. Allen’s story (and two other stories the band has yet to release) adapt from Moon’s inspired lyricist Jeremy Provost’s book Sans Hands. Because of this source material the record follows a tight narrative structure. And while the music is enjoyable on its own, the key to really appreciating the songs (and on a larger scale, the band) lies in following the story they weave. Thankfully, it’s not a hard story to follow. Side A is labeled “husband & wife” and side B goes by “parents and children”, giving us a substantial clue into the album’s theme. Family dissolution. And neither of the band’s contributors offers a sugarcoated peak into this family’s tragedy. Instead, they seem to prolong and heighten the pain experienced by Allen and his progeny, focusing special attention on the younger victims of the divorce (after all, it’s the children who hurt the most). In the album’s grand scheme of things the band has taken the jaws-of-life and ripped apart the shell of a tortured and grievous family. Their bed of lies, addictions and ultimately regrets are showered out with a healthy dose of self-contempt, and we’re there to witness it all.
There are some strong moralities to take away from these songs as well. In “It’s the Children Who Hurt the Most: Part II”, the lyrics mournfully throw out lines like “drew up a prenup, thought it would cure all” and “though indefinitely ruined, we’ll be paying generously, you’ll find an end, the best of therapy”. Elsewhere, the band repeats what seems to be the album’s magic word “try” in lyrics like “when all else fails, try avoidance”. Jeremy Provost is especially skilled at reversing substandard, prepackaged phrases humanity has collected in a less then conventional fashion. With clever bits of dialect like “we’ve sowed what we’ve reaped”, you’ll be reading and rereading the album’s lyrics for any other nuggets of wisdom.
Yet, even though the story and lyrics receive well-earned praise, the music also deserves some mentioning

Yes, the music: Understand that I’m not trying to put anyone down here, but for a pair of brothers who run a self-founded record label, the music is surprisingly proficient. Odd, but proficient.
Yet perhaps the peculiarity inherit in Jeffery L. Allen contributes to its likeability. There’s a great juxtaposing of characters gathered within the album’s confines. But part of what keeps those characters together is the singularly bizarre, yet logical structure of its songwriting. More often then not we’re treated to weepy acoustic ballads, but occasionally we get a few upbeat, electrically sizzling rockers. (Not that I’m going to keep talking about the lyrics, but you should really make sure you follow the narrative structure in these instances to make sure you’re not fooled by the song’s poppy tempo.) Edgier moments like these are an interesting glimpse into the band’s electronic persona. But the real winners of Jeffery L. Allen (musically at least) come in the form of the band’s slower, toned down laments. “It’s the Children Who Hurt the Most: Part II” is one of the finest examples of this languid, careful brilliance. In songs like these, the band shows their greatest promise, hinting at an anticipated future of songwriting that can only move upward and onward. Ironically though, it’s one of the earliest compositions Josh and Jeremy Provost put together that holds the most weight.
“Come and Gone”, the album’s second track provides the perfect smash cut from the jaggedness of the album’s opener and also serves to nicely sum up the dilemma faced by our leading protagonist, Allen. I could go on and on about the levels of meaning and impact the song has on the album as a whole, but I can’t waste precious words when I should simply be listening. It’s just a brilliant little song. Like most artists waxing nostalgia about their own work, Josh and Jeremy Provost are likely to downplay the song’s significance. One could note its considerable age. In all truthfulness though, this song, along with several others, offer a glimpse into the great promise this project holds. If these softer laments prove to be the band’s most convincing efforts, The Moon is No More could look forward to a prolific songwriting career.

Nevertheless, I did say I would be critical with my friends. And even though they surpassed my expectations, any casual listener could pick out a few minor gripes here and there. A few of the songs for example tend to run a bit too short. It’s not that they’re bad. If anything, the disappointment is a testament to what kind of grip the band places upon its listeners. The quick cut-off leaves the listener wanting more. The unique music and Jeremy’s trademark lyrics manage to overwhelm such miniscule problems however and serve to make the album something more then it’s smallest flaws. When the final track ends and the disc stops spinning you realize that Jeffery L. Allen is a tale of human tragedy and ignorance. It’s about ego and scars that can only heal with time. It’s a tribute to the human experience, and it’s a mockery of everything that attempts to romanticize the human experience. Jeffery L. Allen isn’t an album; it’s a person you know. Just don’t try and avoid him.

Onward and upward

At 4:00 AM this morning I wrapped up filming on my first short film at Scottsdale Community College, Pantomiming. To say it was arduous would be saying it in the least. It was a very difficult film to make and it was very trying because I'm still struggling to learn the roles of the director and the roles of the other crew members. For example: when confronted with a technical problem in the look of the film, the various department heads would come to me and ask me what the shot had to look like and what the visual elements were. Instead of telling them about the vision I saw in my head I started telling them how to fix the problems they were experiencing. "Well, take it down a stop, increase the focal length" and so on. It was an interesting shoot because I got to experience for the first time what a director does in the traditional Hollywood studio sense. Which is work with the actors. A director telling the lighting crew how to solve a problem doesn't work apparently, even if the director knows how to fix the problem. That's a hard lesson to learn because I feel like if I know how to fix the problem, then I should be able to speak freely. There were a few clashes here and there. A few times I could see a problem coming down the pipeline and I would bring it to teacher’s attention, and she would merely say "Brock don't worry about it". When the problem finally manifested itself I was stuck telling her "when I see a problem, regardless of where it is, I'm going to point it out, because now it's screwing me up." Still, it all came together quite well. It was a learning experience for me on many different levels. I had to learn what people expect from a director, and I got to learn what the director should expect from himself. Namely, if you can control things within your field of vision and within what's happening on the set, do it. Don't listen to the traditional "Hollywood" roles. That method of working is fine within a certain extent, but when problems start to arise it becomes very difficult to solve problems unless you've got your own method worked out.

So now I've begun thinking about post-production; the editing of the film, the various color corrections and the DVD. Oh yes, the DVD. I want to mention that before I end this post because I think this DVD (and the one I'll devise for my second student film) is going to be really great.
For Pantomiming, I had a member of my crew on the set with a video camera taping the entire filming of the short. I don't know how much footage he ended up with, but I think it'd be safe to say we've got 30 minutes of documentary style "behind the scenes" coverage. 30 minutes...for a 3-minute film. If that weren't enough, I had a photographer there documenting the entire process. So when I finish the DVD, there will be a plethora of special features.

Here's what I'm planning:

Audio Commentaries

The Director's Team Commentary:

Commentary with,

-Brock Brown, Director
-Jon Paullin, Assistant Director
-Chad Einwalter, Director of Photography

The Gaffer's Team Commentary:

Commentary with,

-Leon Cowan, Gaffer
-Cory Barnes, Lighting Crew 1
-James Petersma, Lighting Crew 2
-Marty Murawski, Lighting Crew 3
-Tom Robinson, Lighting Crew 4

30 Minute Documentary

Behind the Scenes Production Stills

Outtakes

Original Actor Audition Tapes

If it all works out in post-production, I should be able to have all of those things on the DVD.

So, I'm glad it's done. Now I move on to the next short. I'm not gonna talk about that one though, because I think I talked the process to death with this one. But hey, guess what? Gabe will be playing the starring role in the next film. Crazy, huh? This will be some more experience for him to test out his budding actor skills. Here's to that flick.

-Brock

Promised to the Night

There I’m standing in a dirty and claustrophobic elevator, standing next to Gabe, his wife and my brother Parker, when this lady in a business suit and sneakers squeezes in. I’m not kidding you; she was wearing a grey suit, very empowering, with a pair of what looked like jogging sneakers. An odd combination. I must admit however that she was a perceptive one. She caught on to the mood of the night soon enough. “Quite a big show they’re having over there” she said, in reference to the Mesa Amphitheater. Gabe informed her that it was the Pixies paying, to which, she surprisingly replied, “No kidding? Frank Black, right?” For a nighttime businesswoman in sneakers, this girl knew her music. We all smiled immediately and nodded. Yeah, it was Frank Black we were going to see. “Long time coming, huh?” she asked. It was an outright crackup.
Yeah, it’s been a long time coming, especially for fans of the rock group. The Pixies called it quits years ago due to disagreements between Frank Black and Kim Deal and have only recently joined back together. During their departure, the band’s reputation grew notorious within the music industry. The likes of Kurt Cobain, Thom Yorke and Isaac Brock extolled the virtues of the outlandish musicians in their absence, and the public only grew fonder of them. Songs like “Tromp Le Mond” and “Velouria” were popularized in tributes pieced together by Weezer and Braid while their most infamous song, “Where Is My Mind”, grew into a slow burning classic. When the band announced their reunion earlier this year, sheer pandemonium resulted.
Following a mini-tour in small-time Canadian and American cities, the Pixies culminated their grand reunion in a show-stopping performance at the 2004 Coachella Festival. I was there. Gabe was there. And we both knew that we had to see them again when they came to Phoenix.
So there we were, on our way to the show helmed by Frank Black and his cohorts. By the time we arrived the band had just launched into their set, which was a powerful combination of old and even older material. Classics that swept the Coachella Festival were met with great response at the Mesa Amphitheater. The band broke out songs like “Here Comes Your Man”, “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and “Velouria” to sate the responsive crowd. But much to my pleasure, they also dished out a few songs they hadn’t played at Coachella, songs like “Subbacultcha”, “Is She Weird”, “River Euphrates” and “Planet of Sound”. And there were a few rarities to characterize the set as well (like “In Heaven” “The Holiday Song” and “Winterlong”).

Thanks to Black’s onstage persona and the musicianship of his band mates, it was an energetic and lively show. As good as Coachella? Probably not. But part of the reason why Coachella was so good was because it was their grand reentrance into the music scene. By the time they hit the Mesa Amphitheater, everyone knew that they were probably going to stay together and record a brand new album. Everyone had seen them on the cover of Spin or read about them on Pitchfork. Yes, if their performance at the Mesa Amphitheater proved anything, it’s that the Pixies are here to stay.

On a related note, I just wanted to mention how cool the Mesa Amphitheater was. I’d never been there before. But Gabe and Rebeckah were right in telling me that it was a great venue. Not a bad seat in the house. In fact, it kind of reminded me of one of my favorite venues, the Coors Amphitheater in San Diego. Definitely the kind of place you want to see a band at.

Relive the Reunion

There's a very good quality recording of Braid's reunion show in Champaign at The Highdive at Cloak and Dagger Media. Get it here.

There's also a feature with David Bazan.

Blissful Colorado

OK, I’m back. My sweet, sweet vacation is over. I’m just now posting about it because I had a pile of work to do upon my return. Welcome back me. Total fish count: 9.

My wife, Rebekah, and I had a grand ol’ time in Colorado. We were enveloped in perfect weather and beautiful scenery. We caught up on much needed relaxation.

We first headed to the mile-high city, Denver, where we would catch the Sunday night NFL match between the Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. This was our second trip to the stadium, but our first for a regular season game. The two teams are heated division rivals, which greatly added to the anticipation and excitement of the game. The game did not disappoint. It was a close one until the fourth quarter when the Broncos pulled ahead for good.

Then we were off to Steamboat Springs, a ski resort community. Thanks to Rebekah’s Aunt and Uncle, they provided us a stay at their condo free of charge. You can’t beat that. There’s a long stretch of the I-70 freeway that goes right through the Rockies. It’s surrounded by gorgeous scenery. Plus, you get to drive through one mountain via the Eisenhower Tunnel. Fun.

Steamboat Springs is only 42 miles from where I was born and lived for 14 years. Despite living that close, I’ve only been to Steamboat previously a handful of times. Too bad, since it’s much nicer than Craig.

We visited a couple of lakes, one in which I fished. I mainly fished out of the Yampa River, though. There I caught 6 Rainbow Trout. At the lake I caught two Cutthroat Trout and one at a river in Durango on the way back. It happened to be behind our motel there so I thought “what the heck, I’ll fish it.” They were all very small but I caught a nice fat Rainbow that was around 10 inches.

The weather was mostly in the mid 70s. One day it was in the low 60s and that night’s low dipped down to the 30s. Crisp! One of my favorite things I did there, besides fish, was to sit outside on the patio at night and drink hot chocolate in a t-shirt and shorts.

On the way back we took the Million Dollar Highway through the San Juan Skyway. Spectacular views there. Oh, the trees were changing colors so that added to everything.

We coudln't pass up the Four Corners either. It's the only place in the U.S. where you can be in four states all at the same time!

Well, I could go on and on. I took a ton of pictures. Once I get them back I’ll post them up somewhere for all to see. They’ll tell the rest of the story.

Tonight

Tonight the Pixies are playing. And I've got film class. Quick decision: I'm going to the Pixies.

I mean, nothing's due really. Our storyboards are, but I already showed mine to the teacher weeks ago. If I don't show up with the storyboards, it's not like she's going to say "well gee, Brock must have decided not to do the work". And it's The Pixies. I planned on going to this show months ago.

I'll just go to class tomorrow.

-Brock

Return

I think Gabe and Rebekah got back from their trip today. I hope the rest of their trip went well.

Pushed back

I hear that Beck just pushed back the release date of his new album from October 25th to early 2005. Boo I say, boo.

Kirby

Hey everyone,

I know it's been a long time since I've written a post, and I apologize for that. It's just that I've been quite busy, and things haven't been going too terribly well lately. Today was the first day I felt like I wanted to get online and write a post. And I feel bad at the same time because this post will probably sound a little self-indulgent to some of you, but let's just get it over with.

Like I said, things hadn't been going spectacularly. When I last left off I had chosen the San Carlos as my location for Pantomiming and I was gathering everything together in preparation for filming. But after that, things began to take a turn for the worse. It all started out last Tuesday when my location manager, Lee, came into class with some bad news about the San Carlos. He informed me that they were absolutely fine with me filming there. But he also told me that they were currently putting in a new handrail all around the sidewalk. (Why they’re doing it, I have no idea.) The thing is, while I had their cooperation, I couldn’t use the location. This new railing system would completely ruin my shots and make use of a dolly utterly impossible.
So the San Carlos was out. To top things off, one of the program supervisors was beginning to show concern over the amount of light we'd need in order to properly expose the film. I've stated time and time again, Pantomiming is supposed to be black and white; it's a tribute to silent film and the perfection it reached. The problem is that all film types have a certain Exposure Index (EI). Black and white film for 16 mil' (in our price range I believe) can only shoot up to 200 EI's, which is just terrible for a nighttime shoot. The program supervisor practically begged me to consider shooting on color film because we could get up to 800 EI's out of it. He adamantly stated that I could turn the film black and white in postproduction and he'd make sure it still had the look and visual feel I wanted. Using his advice as my guide, I agreed to shoot on color and turn the film black and white in postproduction.
There will still lighting concerns though, and in order to address them (and solve the San Carlos debacle) we had to go out and find a new street corner.
So we found one on the corner of the AT&T building in downtown Phoenix. It was getting decent readings on the light meter and it fit the look of the street corner I saw in my head, so I decided to submit it. But AT&T decided against it. They were displeased for various reasons about my wanting to shoot on their corner. Moreover, some of our shots required that we position the camera in the streets. In order to do that, the city insisted we hire two cops to block the streets off and patrol the area. What’s more, the Phoenix Film Commission informed me that they had to make sure no major events where happening downtown during the eve of our shoot. They'd need a week to get back to us. With the cops, AT&T and the Phoenix Film Commission looming over my shoulder, I decided that the school would probably want to cancel the project. To make matters worse, I had just gotten off a sinus infection a few days earlier and was infected by a second cold. I was sick, my movie was falling apart, and I had a casting call I had to attend on Friday.
Morale was low, my crew was depressed, and I felt horrible.
Somehow, I managed to keep a straight face. I confined myself to my house and attempted to get better the day before the casting call. I still entertained some hope that at the very least, the casting call could produce some viable talent for the school to use in the future. Apparently, my casting director struck a deal with a major talent agency here in Phoenix. He agreed that we'd give his actors an exclusive first look if he provided the school with plenty of talent willing to do student films. I considered that if the school was worried about my film, they also had to be giddy with this great new connection we had snagged them.
But none of that changed my outlook for the film. I was unbearably grim. I thought to myself, "no matter how great the students think my script is, no matter who believes in my story, there's nothing that can get this film back on its feet in time for our deadline".

And then I met the Mime.

My casting director had been jumping through hoops all week to find a professional mime for the film. He'd contacted all of the major drama schools and universities in the valley, investigated agencies, and even scoped out private entertainers. The result was coming into contact with a drama teacher at ASU (I think) who had studied pantomiming for years. He was very interested in my project and considered doing it himself (even though he wasn't any spring chicken). I was greatly pleased, but when I arrived at the casting call I found out that this elder mime wouldn't be able to make it. He was sending over one of his finest students instead. This student, a pantomime by the name of Kirby, was infamous in Phoenix mime circles. He's the mythical, untouchable performer of the Phoenix mime world, a virtual unicorn. I stepped out of the studio we were using to do a few things and when I stepped back inside there he was. Six foot three, lanky and articulate. It was obvious by my first glance alone that he was the pantomime I had heard so much about.
And then we got to see him perform. I should add that anything I say about his performance would be a drastic understatement. I couldn't praise his brilliance enough. He started out his little performance by getting trapped inside an invisible room. He eventually found a ladder out of the room, climbed to the top of a building and crossed a high wire to the other side. Then, he pulled an umbrella out of his pocket and jumped off the building only to land inside yet another imprisonment. Finally, he found a way out, picked up his invisible box, and with great effort, set it down next to our desk.
It was incredible.
The various issues plaguing me about the location melted away and I knew right then and there that this movie would be shot, and it would be one heck of a ride.
The actresses auditioning for other parts were obviously intimidated by Kirby's brilliant performance. Still, many of them managed to interact with him quite nicely. I think more then anything he brought out charisma and humor in my other actors that even they didn't know they had. What's more, he began offering me ideas and insight about the story that made my visual gags and plotline even more hilarious and expressive. We had only known each other a short period of time and already we were working as actor and director to propel my character into something very real, something very tangible and unique.

After that I managed to work out the location issues with my teacher. There's a place on campus behind the soccer court that looks like a seedy downtown district. Students have used it time and time again in their films, and we decided that it would be the best place to shoot the movie. This way I don’t have to worry about all of the underlying issues and difficulties attached to shooting in downtown Phoenix.
All in all, I don't feel any better, and I hate the fact that I've been too sick to do little else then go to school, but I think things are back on track. We had a little hiccup, but my teacher told me that it's my right of passage. I say, let's get to work.