The Snake Story

Part of me thinks the above video is funny and another part of me thinks it's just painful to hear. Turn your volume down if you dare listen to The Snake Story. This is the first visit from my Grand Daughter since she got her glasses, that she's worn the pink goggles for the whole visit. I love you Cordelia.

The Cordelia & Grandpa Show will have a set in part two. It will be a closed set too.

I come from a family of story tellers and the stories flow freely:)

A Fawn and a Farewell

I'm driving into Kansas City on 71 highway toward a long overdo return to movie making.
I look to my left and see a dead doe by the side of road with a young fawn trying to wake the dead deer mother with a nose. The fawn is fragile and perfect with the white spots of youth. My heart goes out to this babe by the side of the opposite direction I'm going. I could save this bit of nature only inches away from death.

Guilt swells in me as I don't turn off the off ramp at the next overpass. I have a movie to make and promises to keep.

More to come......This story takes place on August 2nd.

Sorry I'll be a while getting back to this. I'm on a short sleep vacation.

I got to the location still thinking about the fawn. As I waited to be let into the American Ice Co. building (an old ice storage building turned into offices and apartments) I saw a crippled cat that I later learned was called Tripod. The cat had a broken third leg but was well feed so he or she didn't need my help. If Bambi hadn't been my favorite movie as a child maybe I could think about the movie instead of that helpless fawn.

More to come.....

I was there early and in about a half hour David Winger showed up to let me in. David Winger is the President of the IFC (Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City) He rents a light kit to me as well as stingers (Sandbags to hold the lights down) and extension cords. He gives me access to an upstairs office that is my set as well as a way in and out of the building. Before he leaves he leans me a mic, just in case my DP forgets his.

More to come.....

Antoine calls me on my cell phone and ask if the anyone has shown up yet. I said no and told him I believed everyone would be on set soon. Everyone did show up and all went better than planed. The kissing scene between Antoine and Amanda had the passion I had hoped for.

As the production ended I said a farewell to Amanda as she was moving to Florida in two days.

Seldom do you get the cast you saw in your head when you wrote the script and a crew of two that go above and beyond the small pay they were given.

Note I made a mistake in this post as Stingers are extension cords;)

Storyboards

I am story boarding my 2009 version of Two Jews and a Pagan to go into a one day shooting production on August 2nd 2009. I have spent $60.00 on the production so far and still need to confirm if one of my actors can make it that day.

I have spent more money on this production than I want think about but of course there is hundreds of other productions to come. I'm thousands of dollars in debt and the money pit of production looms.

The short movie Two Jews and a Pagan cost over $600.00 to make and I fall deeper in debt to prove to myself and the world at large that I am a writer and director.

I know people that made feature length movies for half what it cost me to do this short movie but they didn't pay their cast and crew a penny.

I'm trying to create a code of conduct for myself as I make independent movies. This production proved everything I believe in when making a movie. Stay positive, turn a negative into an advantage and put actors first.

I wrote half of this post after the production was finished on August 3rd 2009. I am now moving into post production on this movie.

The Cast

The movie bug has bitten me again.

The script reading is just around the corner for my script "Two Jews and a Pagan" and I decided after talking to Maia, to direct the movie myself.

Maia picked a wonderful cast and I'm hoping to use all of them in the production.

Antoine Williams as Jesus
Daniel Handley as Houdini
Amanda Riley as Merlin