the last couple of weeks have been pretty cool from a creative standpoint. i’ve been gearing up for the RAP Summer Show, but i’ve managed to find some time to write. i started expanding Al-Jay’s script and something REALLY funny happened – i actually came up with a fairly coherent plot. usually, i manage to start with a cool concept and make my way up to the end of the first act. however, for this particular script, ideas just kept coming and coming. i think i mentioned before how sometimes you just happen to get into this crazy rhythm and you just feel it…akin to being ‘on fire’ in NBA Jam. i think it’s the most complete long story i’ve ever come up with. there’s a good chance i can draw it out to a full-length piece. it’s funny how inspiration hits when other things are going on.

when i came up with the concept for Beats Per Minute, we were right smack-dab in the middle of Tatarin. and now, as we’re starting to go full steam ahead into the pre-production of Three Rats, this new script. of course, i’ll admit that it isn’t an original concept. i’m expanding a script Al-Jay jettisoned about aspiring filmmakers who come up with this foolproof plan to make a name for themselves in the world of cinema. the original script was mad funny, but it was also a big gay joke. i feel that i could make it a bit more accessible and flesh out the 2 main characters a bit more. what started out as a gay joke is now a ‘buddy’ film. Al-Jay was diggin’ the direction i’m taking it, so that’s cool with me. so i guess that officially means PDA is his to direct (we had casually made an agreement that if he’d let me have the rights to his script, i’d let him direct a version of PDA for the screen – i wonder if we should sign anything?) who knows? this blog post may be the start of a bitter media rivalry between future film directors. freakin’ sweet!

but i guess we’ll have to postpone the rivalry until after this particular weekend. Al-Jay emailed me the info for this one and it looks pretty damn sweet. so i’m going as his date, or is he my date? there’s a great offer for going with a partner, but i hope that doesn’t mean that kind of partner. so all my LA peeps, can i crash at your pad…after we go out and party? WUUT!

i watched Saving Face last night and it was pretty inspiring, dude. it was an entertaining movie – good characters, solid plot, and decend dialogue…and did i mention 2 really, REALLY cute actresses?…who engage in really, REALLY cool activities that many heterosexual males enjoy witnessing, even if it’s on TV (which is probably the only place they’ll see it). but i digress. there wasn’t anything about the film itself that was particularly inspiring. rather, it was listening to Alice Wu the writer/director of the movie talk about her experience directing her first movie. they had this cool Sundance Diary segment where it shows the director and her cast experience the screening of the film. i was most impressed by Alice Wu’s humility in a situation where you cannot help but be in the spotlight. she expressed her gratitude to all who helped in the production of the film and the audience for watching.

my favorite part was when she talked about the fact it was her first time directing. she mentioned how she was surrounded by people on set who were way better at their jobs than she was at hers, yet everyone believed in the project so much that they trusted in her ability to make a great film. They made her feel comfortable in uncharted territory.

cue cheesy moment:

i’d like to work in an environment like that someday – to have people believe in me and in the script and in my vision. years ago, i always thought this whole film thing was a pipe dream. i went to school for it because that’s what i wanted to study. i thought that if nothing came of it, i could still excel working in Corporate America (which i have proof of because i just got a raise – yeay-yuh!) but in the past few years, and seeing the growth with my work, i am slowly building confidence in my work. perhaps i can be up there for a Q&A session after one of my films is screened. now, i’m not saying i’m having delusions of grandeur and thinking i’ll be at Sundance, or anything. but i do know my work is slowly getting better, but i still have a ways to go. as long as i keep with it, hopefully the right opportunities will come.

auditions were held today and yesterday. sadly, we didn’t have too great of a turnout. there were some good performances, and some were just there to fill up the time. some ended up being peer-pressured into auditioning while they waited to take care of some business at the Stiff. the great part of auditions is you know that people who sign up are actually interested in doing the play. when people audition because they are peer-pressured or because they have nothing else to do, it’s tough to gauge the level of commitment they will have for the piece if they end up being selected. don’t get me wrong, i’m all about people experiencing new things and such, but i just hope no one’s time was wasted. in speaking with the other directors, Jeannie and Aureen, i think we won’t have to fight TOO hard for the folks we want to cast.

the biggest highlight of the week, though, was securing Paz and Joce for my Design Team. i had been casually sharing my ideas with Paz over the last few weeks and he seemed to dig them. i had always wanted to work with him in this capacity, but i know he’s been busy with gigs. i wouldn’t want him to feel obligated to help out or anything. turns out we seem to be thinking on the same wavelength and i am looking forward to what we come up with.

i’ve seen joce’s work with RAP in previous productions. she’s got a great work ethic and is pretty organized. but her set decoration work stood out during the 6th Day video we shot over the summer. she and rob did some really great things with the set and she had mentioned before that she wanted to work on a project of mine someday. i knew she was more thinking along the lines of a project for the screen, but i figured i’d ask her for this particular production. as soon as i mentioned i wanted to work with Paz, she immediately took the initiative to contact him and do some preliminary brainstorming. soon after, i get a call saying she’s in and i sent the script off to her to review. since then we’ve been emailing each other back and forth with our thoughts about the set, lighting, costume, props, etc. looks like we’re off to a pretty good start.

now i gotta start doing the ‘director’ stuff – which is A LOT. it’ll be crazy with the mandatory OT i gotta put in at work and that Physics class. it’s all good – i like it when i’m busy.

Just when you thought my time would be spent directing, I started working on that full-length play tonight. I’m up to about 8-9 pages for the first scene so I’m thinking that’s good. I’ve never written a play before so I’m just winging it. It’s been fun. The characters are super fun to write dialogue for and I’m just going overboard with the cookiness.

It’s about these two aspiring filmmakers who, after seeing an EXTREMELY crappy film made by one of their old high school friends, decide to make a film of their own. They have the utmost confidence in their idea and they’re going full steam ahead into the realm of hilarity. I want to try my best to use filmic elements to be incorporated into a stage piece. Basically, it’ll be extremely tech-heavy. But seeing what Ryan did with “Love In The Time Of Diarrhea”, I’m inspired to push the limits of stage to create a more cinematic feel for the piece. I’m talking narration, voiceover, flashback, jump cuts, montages…all interacting with the live actors on the stage. Ambitious? Hell yes. But fuck it, I’m going for it!

My friends have called me out saying, “I think you’re ready to try on a full-length.” Let’s do this. This will be along the lines of a buddy-comedy. I just hope I can actually write funny stuff.

So I’m writing, directing, and taking a class at the same time. Am I crazy? Nope, just inspired.

Oh…some random thoughts:

…the title of the Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero play I have decided to direct for RAP’s summer show at The Stiff at the end of June. Transcribed it yesterday, and man, was that a chore. The formatting of the stage directions were weird so I wanted to make myself a clean version. Typing it out also helped me get a bit more familiar with the piece.

I’m diggin’ it. I have a concept now and will attempt to describe with three separate words: futuristic, grayscale, film noir. Ok, so i guess technically it’s four words, but three “terms.” This one is going to be fun to do. I’m going to need a good Design Team to help realize this vision. Man, is it going to look different. Let’s hope I can sell it the Production Team this week at Paddy’s.

I like the idea that concept is taking precedence this time around. Don’t get me wrong, the performance is still going to be a focus, I want this piece to be as strong visually as it in on the performance level. I’m pretty excited about it, man. The lighting is going to be key for this piece. My fingers will be crossed for a decent budget and a kick ass Design Team.

I’ll leave it at that right now. Stay tuned for a post-Production Meeting post (hahaha…I used the word “post” twice right there) describing how it went.