On the last day of 2014 I thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at the project that dominated most of my year: Fun Size Horror!
What do you do when you know a group of very talented people who all want to tell stories, but no one can find all the resources they need? That’s the exact issue we were in and Zeke came up with a very good idea. Read all about it here:
And check out the website, we’ll be back in 2015!
See you soon!
Filed under Fun Size Horror, year in review
As we approach the end of the year, there is a certain amount of personal reflection and review that I like to do and as I looked back on this year’s posts there were a few things that I thought were worth revisiting. One of my favorite projects this year was the 52 in 52 writing challenge. Even though I ended up cutting it short, it is something that I really enjoyed doing and it felt good to get those stories out of my head. Here is a link to one of my favorites:
Time Travel Sucks and Other Stories from the Society for the Betterment of Humanity
What did you do that you really liked this year? Drop it in the comments!
See you in 2015!
Filed under 52 in 52, 52 stories in 52 weeks, projects, year in review
Photo: Act.Watchdog.Net
It’s weird to call this a personal favorite, it is more appropriate to call it a favorite cause. While specific bills have been stopped this last year, the fight to keep the internet open will still rage as long as the people don’t stand up and help protect it. This post has a lead on a lot of good information to help give you a primer on why the fight for Net Neutrality is important. I’m not saying it is the most important cause of all time, but it is important.
Thoughts? Leave them in the comments!
See you soon.
Filed under causes, net neutrality, year in review
I started writing this post weeks ago. It has been edited, re-written and abandoned in that time. Originally it was me looking at how the end of the year was really busy and how that seems to be a running theme/gag in my posts on social media/blogs/conversation. Unfortunately it just kept coming off as a pretentious prick talking about all the shit he was doing and then complaining about things he has no right to complain about.
That wasn’t my intent or how I feel, but it kept coming out that way.
In my 20’s I used to gage how well I was doing by how busy I was. I remember being in an acting class at the time and doing an exercise where we peeled away the layers of the day to become emotionally available to work and my big “reveal” was that I made myself “busy” just to make myself feel better. While age has helped me get passed that, I still suffer from “say-yes-syndrome.”
Say-Yes-Syndrome: A condition where you instinctively agree to do things when asked so long as you find them interesting, exciting or fun. This can lead to an additional condition called “over-commitment.’
Even when you have the best possible intentions, over-commitment usually means that something is going to suffer since it is impossible to give 100% to everything.
This year we did some really amazing things. Really cool things! Rene and I shot and performed more this year than we have in years! Fun Size Horror was a big hit! Through generosity and coincidence we were able to do some traveling. We helped run a film festival that was very well received. Some of my students launched real, full-blown careers this year! It was, really, a hell of a year! But, through it all, I feel like each of these events would have benefited from more focus and time. Maybe the outcomes wouldn’t be any different, it truly was a very successful year, but you can’t prove a negative and that means there will always be nagging thought.
I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, see above as to why, but I think it’s appropriate this year to re-focus. This year I make a public declaration that I’m going to limit my commitments so I can really focus on the thing that we choose to do. This probably won’t make me any less busy, but I do feel that this will make what Rene and I choose to do that much more fulfilling and exciting.
Do you make resolutions? How was your year? Do you find yourself coming off as a pretentious prick when you write things occasionally? Let me know in the comments.
Happy New Year!
Filed under year in review
This is a fun little year end questionnaire that I stole from the lovely Rene Bordelon which she stole from another blogger who stole it from another blogger and I imagine it will be stolen from me as well.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
I saw the redwoods. 24 years in California and I had never been. There are things you don’t realize will impress you until you visit them and nature regularly does that to me. I’m not a camping guy and I consider myself a city-boy but when you’re looking at ancient trees that are as tall as buildings it affects you. It was a reality check too. I had heard of the General Sherman tree before, but seeing it was at first a bit disappointing (I imagined it being as large as the Empire State Building – like I said I’m a city-boy) but then seeing a branch that had fallen off of the General that was 50 feet tall… It was mind blowing.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next this year?
I don’t make them.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Uh, yeah. Rene’s friend Karen had a baby boy, my friend Darcy had a baby girl, my friend Liz had a girl and my sister had her second boy! And that’s just counting people in the state. My cousin had her first boy… actually I think there were two cousins who had kids this year? One of my students. There were lots of kids.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but there were quite a few deaths.
5. What countries did you visit?
I didn’t leave the country this year.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Money. Money for films. Money for me. Money in general.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 23rd, the day we got confirmation that the initial funding fell through for “Cheerleaders Must Die!” But it also started the process that has allowed the project to grow into something much bigger than we originally planned, so it’s a mixed bag.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
New, effective business relationships.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Well, there was no funding for any film projects this year. That sucked.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A minor case of swine flu and the wimpiest case of strep throat ever.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I don’t buy things, I have debt to pay, but I was able to get Rene an HD Flip cam for her documentary, and that was pretty cool.
12. Where did most of your money go?
Debt, food, debt.
13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Work! When I was actually working it was AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Sundance was GREAT! Christmas was GREAT! And being with Rene and Frankie!
14. What song will always remind you of 2009?
I know it’s a Lady Gaga song, “Paparazzi”, “Poker Face” or “Bad Romance.”
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Happier
b) thinner or fatter?
Heavier but more fit.
c) richer or poorer?
Much, much poorer in finances and much richer in relationships.
16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Found more financing.
17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sitting around wondering what to do.
18. How did you spend Christmas?
Spent Christmas Eve with Rene’s family and spent Christmas day with mine. All was good.
19. Did you fall in love in 2009?
No. I was already in love and stayed that way.
20. What was your favorite TV program?
Doctor Who, what there was of it, Castle, Attack of the Show, V, Glee, and I feel like there’s more but I don’t remember.
21. What was the best book you read?
This year I didn’t complete a single book. It is sad.
22. What was your favorite film of this year?
If I’m picking one as my favorite then I choose “District 9”.
23. What did you do on your birthday?
I don’t remember! Yikes!
24. What kept you sane?
I don’t know that anything did.
25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I didn’t, but I have a high regard for Lady Gaga and how she does her stuff.
26. Who did you miss?
No one, I hit everyone I aimed at.
Doesn’t seem like much of a year once you write it down. It wasn’t a bad year, but it wasn’t exceptional either. I’m looking forward to 2010.
See you tomorrow!
Filed under general, year in review
