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Harry Potter and the Things I’ve Been Up To

sonnyboo — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:05:10 +0000

My schedule remains fairly tight, but with some loose ends. I was able to take some time and relax two weekends in a row. That’s nice. Since my weekdays are still quite long, arduously taking client work as best I can, I found some interesting reading material. I discovered the Harry Potter books.

I have seen the movies, but I am a casual fan at best. At the same time, given that the Internet and even conversations are fraught with the peril of having the endings of the next two movies ruined – I felt I should take the plunge and read them before anything gets spoilt. I enjoyed the movies a lot, but I did not own them until now.

I went to Half Priced Books and picked up the lot used for under $40, and then I got the boxed set of all 5 movies in high definition used for $43 including shipping (Thanks Amazon!). In less than 3 weeks, I plowed through all the books and thanks to the weekends, I managed to finish of book 7 yesterday. I’m a convert, I loved these. Great fun, although I agree with Stephen King’s assessment that JoAnn has many clever and creative aspects to the books, but the opening chapters with the Durseley’s get boring.

I rank the movies well, as I thoroughly enjoyed Chris Columbus’ direction in the first two films, but the third one under Alphonso Cuaron (later did CHILDREN OF MEN) still ranks as by a large margin the best in the series so far, not withstanding my preferential treatment of any film that casts Gary Oldman. The last two films were lukewarm to me before, but the books fill in the depth that a non-reader would never have gotten.

As I explained to some fellow filmmakers, it’s interesting to note that in the latest two (and soon to be 6th film), that Chris Columbus is no longer involved in the franchise directly. At the time, because the main stars were unknown kids, the big “star” attraction to the film was its director who had smash hits HOME ALONE and MRS. DOUBTFIRE. His salary was $10 million plus back end points. His paycheck on film two is not disclosed, but I’ll bet it was more. He produced film three, but never came back to direct, even though he wanted to. The other directors get $1 million plus points. To most directors, this is more than an ample payday, so Chris Columbus never gets to come back to the world he shaped. Interesting to note, that many choices a director would get to make, he already made. The main cast of principals and especially the students and teachers, are already made. The location styles, the costumes, props, set design, art direction in general, as well as musical motifs, are all based on what Chris Columbus decided as director on the first two films. His mark remains in the series till the end.

Overall, I enjoyed the books a lot. The films I definitely liked better after reading the books. I love geeking out and getting into fantasy films and books, but the reason I liked this best was the depth of the world and the backstory was compelling. I love a good backstory and setup as it grounds everything in its own reality.

Enough on the exploits of the geeks with glasses…

Looks like the Japan trip may really happen! I can’t believe it, but they called me and I talked to someone on the phone about the details of the trip. The location is north of Tokyo in a megacomplex with tons of HD and all around high end production facilities. I hope they come through with the airline ticket soon so that I can book the trip as a whole. I’d love to spend a month in Japan teaching filmmaking to 60 students.

Thursday night, My Sexy Fiancé Veronica ™ and I went to a local movie theatre to see the Jackie Chan/Jet Li movie FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. God, that movie sucked ass. I tend not to thrash movies, as I’m not a film reviewer, just a watcher and filmmaker, so I want to NOT be a critic unless I like the movie. This was too crappy not to say something. By the time the historic pair duked it out; we went ahead and left the theatre. Even with fight choreography by the legendary Yeun Wo Ping, I couldn’t stand any more of this ass hurting pain. The whole movie hinged around a contemporary American story that was not only unnecessary, but poorly done. My Sexy Fiancé Veronica ™ said it best when she said it would have been great if you were 8 years old. Too true.

The upside was that as I was leaving, I met the manager, who happened to be a guy who took a job at Super Saver Cinema in 1991 the same day I did and we wound up both being managers within a year with that company. He’s still in the biz, and he introduced me to the owner of the theatre. I have been floating the idea of doing another film festival for some time, but mostly I wanted to make it for feature films, not really shorts. I’ve been working on several features in various capacities and I know a lot of people want to exhibit their features. This is my chance to lend a helping hand again, and this time I won’t entrust any of the important responsibilities to half wits.

By the end of the conversation, we had a deal struck for the film festival, although I may change it to a film series where we show a locally made feature every Thursday for several weeks with a few short films on the head of them. We’ll see. I’m aiming for the fall and I already have at least 6 features in the cue, with another 2-3 possible from others I’m reaching out to.

And this is just the beginning of a few other projects I’m in the midst of. Kind of want to keep my dance card full if you know what I mean…

Stay true to your inner ear,
- Ross

the Legalities of Pummeling Futility

sonnyboo — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:11:52 +0000

Yup. I'm still working a lot. I'm not even getting weekends off at all either. Not a lot of break in the routines. Last night I could have stopped working when I got home from the studio or I could finish the oft ignored ETERNAL teaser trailer for the Derek . I chose to work through it. I got 'er done. I just screened the full 1080 file to the Derek and he was pleased. It's just a teaser trailer, but I enjoyed the graphics work and some of the new FX work I put into it.

I purchased some software and tutorials from VideoCopilot.net and it has greatly modernized my After Effects work. I have not gone flare crazy with some of the specific elements, but I definitely got into the style of these because there are some graphics and animation styles I greatly admire and it's easier to do now. I highly recommend VideoCopilot.net for anyone doing animation or titles (or any basic after effects/compositing) work.

Well, each day my prediction for the economy starts to move eerily closer to being reality. With $5 a gallon gas being predicted by July and the job market puckering up like a buttocks holding roll of quarters in a fraternity pledge initiation – we can expect things have not yet bottomed out.

Yesterday I shot the behind the scenes interviews with George for UNCLE PETE . By some fluke I asked him during the questioning if he wanted to do more and he said yes. I'm the one that wants to retire UNCLE PETE and not do anymore, but one thing I wanted in the originals that we never did was a sidekick character. I really wanted a puppet co-host and there just wasn't the time to make that a reality. Now… that may be more possible than I thought, and in a way that will shake the foundations of the online movie world.

I stumbled on an idea that would take the UNCLE PETE series into a very very dark, scary place where most comedians won't tread. Maybe we'll do it, maybe we won't but I ordered a puppet online today, so maybe we will. This idea might get national attention, not all of it good, but what the hell. Why not? I'm deeply inspired by Family Guy and South Park, so going in the direction of those fearless steps; I just might go for it. Stay tuned and maybe you'll get wind of the new idea. Then again, I might not do it at all if something else enters my depth of field.

I have these two friends, Bret and Linda, who have always been on the cutting edge of discovering the new trends and obscure comedy, especially from the British Isles. One of the things they showed me from 2-3 years ago was GARTH MARENGHI's DARKPLACE. I stumbled on some YouTube vids of this and it got me through a long day of mundane editing this past weekend. I've GOT to get the DVD's of the whole series. It's the most perfect spoof of 1980's television I've ever seen. Classic, great humor. In the late 1990's and the last few years, UK television has been more accessible to US audiences, whereas in the 1980's and before that, it always seemed to be very niche and specific to colloquialisms and internal. With SPACED, THE OFFICE, SMOKING ROOM, and a few others, the universal humor has been cutting edge and very relatable.

The documentary looks to be finishing ahead of schedule in some areas, and a lot more work in others. I think we'll be shooting "dramatic re-enactments" for some of the holes created by the edit and to make the story more visual. TJ's animated stills in 3D are breathtaking. Even with over a hundred stills, it won't be nearly enough. I'm hoping to have a 3-4 minute version to demo for the author in the next month or so. We've already got music from Arya of Chopin and with the first few animated stills, I feel confident that we'll knock her socks off. I can feel the Emmy ™ in my hands within a year or so. Won't that be a hoot? So I'll be able to change my post script to Emmy™ Award Winning Filmmaker. I'm not a Cylon, but I still have a plan….I want an Emmy™ and I think I can get one for this project. I've already got a few thousand dollars invested in My Fiancé's project and I am producing it with her.

I worked in a viewing of the original RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. I wish they had never made any sequels to this. The first one was perfection. So many real locations, and when they were on a sound stage, Norman Reynolds added so much realism to the production design (nonetheless Dougie Slocombe's lighting of said stages). I have seen this movie hundreds of times (literally) and I only got "out" of the movie on one occasion where I realized how much they were cutting a scene months apart on 2 continents back and forth. It was seamless and perfect. I wish Hollywood would go more towards the "realism" of this first film and divert away from the overly fantastical elements like LARA CROFT or NATIONAL TREASURE crapfests.

I need some time off soon. If for nothing else than to relax and let my mind ease off the "work mode" of editing for other people. I'm not doing enough to keep my creativity alive. I have to start feeding the muse or she might starve. I have so much to write and prep, but I'm so convinced the economy is going to drop, that I keep putting it all off. Combine that with financially supporting my Sexy Fiancé, and that makes one hard workin' narrator. At least money isn't as much an issue as it once had been.

I'm still working and digitizing. I happened to have a break where one machine was burning DVD's and the other was capturing a 79 minute tape. So I was able to jot these thoughts and ideas down for a bloggy blog.

Peace my friends. And may the good news be yours!

Peter John Ross
Sweating in the heat

Feminine Hygiene Product

sonnyboo — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:11:33 +0000

Your faithful narrator has calmed some in the last week, although there are still some bumps in the road. I’m still working a lot, but not as much as I was. This looks to be a very light week, and I have made personal headway on the Derek’s movie ETERNAL.

I’ve been working on a teaser trailer for the Derek, albeit several weeks past due. Thanks to the tutorials for After Effects from VIDEOCOPILOT.NET
, I’m reinvigorated on playing with motion graphics. I have not had an interest in doing anything new or fun with motion graphics in about 2 years, maybe more. Now I’m learning to play in 3D space, a feature that has been a part of the program for several versions, but not something I did much with. Now I’m tinkering, toying, and manipulating almost for fun, but with a distinctive deliberate look in mind. Since ETERNAL is a horror film, I’m going grungy with the titles I’m using. As is always true for me, I’ll spend 3 times as much time on sound design, music, and sound mix than I will with a picture edit on this trailer.

It’s very hard to focus though. When I spend all day editing, the last thing I want to do when I get home is edit more. My brain is fried and what little I have in the way of wits are whittled down to a brain dead weasel that solely wants to watch TV, which I generally fail to do because I feel I should be doing something more productive. I wind up pseudo working, writing something for publication, or something semi-productive. The zone I am in at this point hurts some and frustrates a lot.

Still, I manage to meander my way through doing some things creative. I feel as though my temporary reprieve from production will soon end and I will go full tilt boogie into several projects. Most of my ideas are awaiting better weather and a healthier budget than the usual $354 pieces of garbage that invade YouTube and online sites.

Let me take a moment to say I am constantly impressed with the generosity and mindset of someone like Sean McHenry in our local film scene. Here is a guy who imparts wisdom, loans equipment, helps out, and participates on every level with the filmmaking community. Often I learn something new from Sean, even though our aesthetics and likes in film are more often opposite than similar. This is someone leading by example. I’d follow someone like Sean. Even though his love is for more artsy films and prefers film over video, Sean seems to be very accepting of other points of view and just overall, a positive influence on the community as a whole. I barely know Sean, but I am impressed by his character more than anything. It’s people like that that influence me and remind me to be generous and giving to other filmmakers.

One thing I’ve got to give to the online forums and boards is that they often help me unintentionally. Someone asked a basic question about renting a theatre and my response has become my next paid article I’m writing for a new magazine. I had no intention of becoming a freelance writer, but sometimes you fall ass backwards into something good.

After my birthday party with the family, I was handed some blasts from the past. I had forgotten that I was a press whore even when I did music. If I had a clue, I would have exploited these press clippings into something. At the time, I was naïve enough to think that the snow ball would become the avalanche on its own. I didn’t even send a press release at the time, but I think I called someone on the phone. The press must have thought it was so cute that some kid wanted to have a story on them in the newspaper because they made a CD.

I don’t miss being a musician at all. My cousin has taken the mantle and run with it, and he is doing things far beyond what my skills could have ever allowed. Ian Ross plays guitar and writes songs very well. Sadly, I had achieved the simple goals I set for myself. With filmmaking, the goals are much loftier and possibly unreachable, but I shan’t give up.

The great Bob Dylan once said, “There must be some kind of way out of here.” I can only hope I’ve found my way out. I have. Suck on it, psychos.

- Peter John Ross

Of Appellate and Peanut Butter Jamming

sonnyboo — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:54:21 +0000

Well, this seems to be it. My movie has been on shelves for almost 2 weeks. The sense of finality has come. The HORRORS OF WAR chapter of my life seems to be over. I'm relieved and glad. This has been my life for so long that I can let it go. I have some final words on the subject, and for the most part it can exist as something in my past.

Now that it's in the public eye, there are some reviews and opinions coming in. Exactly as I thought – the blue Hitler cover is great, but it is greatly misleading and not really right for our movie. One review on AMAZON.COM clearly states a warning to buyers not to be fooled by the cover into thinking it's a war epic. Now I understand the distribution companies thinking. A great cover will get people to rent it or buy it. And their attitude is simply, "We've got their money already, I don't care if they like the movie or not." This is simply an ignorant way to run a business like this anymore. We live in the "information age". By getting one person's money and disappointing them, they can write a bad review on the Internet and prevent 10-20 more sales or rentals from occurring. An honest approach in marketing is always best. Misleading people or attempting to make your movie into something it isn't will alienate the audience.

Most other reviews are either positive or dreadful with very little in between. People either love it or hate it. Another one of my predictions has come true which is the criticism over the storyline being jumbled by the non-linear story telling. Our "Directors' Cut" is the story in a linear, chronological set of events that builds character development and plot in a better fashion. I'm hardly surprised people are less than enthused with the cut currently for sale on DVD. Following the characters or story makes for an effort in the cut on DVD. The words that will live on in my brain forever are "I don't care about story or character; I just want more action and explosions in the first half of the film…" and I was proven right again.

I will trust my instincts a lot more in the future. I will never allow myself to be painted into these corners again or I will choose not to make the movie at all. My instincts on storytelling, audience response, and marketing were all spot on. The next feature will not suffer the same fate as HORRORS OF WAR. I learned a lot and I am still proud of the movie, flaws and all. I'm still getting emails and pictures from the DVD on shelves (or rented off shelves I should say) from BLOCKBUSTER's all over the country. I still get chills from that. I'm going to stop reading reviews of the movie on all sites. I feel I have learned what I needed to from it and I know how I feel about the movie as is. Time to truly move on.

Speaking of which, I'm re-reading the feature length script for my next feature. Working with other writers has its benefits. I'm 95% committed the project, but the screenplay needs work. I will get more involved in the next few weeks with writing, re-writing, and then casting. I'm targeting early 2008 to start shooting. I have a better vision for what this needs to be tonally than what I did 4 months ago.
Editing trudges forward on ETERNAL for the Derek. I don't have enough hours in the day for all that needs to be done. I'm knee deep in editing work all day, then trying to manage to find time to write my articles for VIDEOMAKER magazine, plus produce videos for them now too. My first article hits in January along with my first produced video with them. Now I'm doing another one on transitions. Speaking of which, I have to get back to writing THAT today too. My weekends aren't free of work, and no longer periods of relaxation – just more work I didn't have time for during the week.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=RANT=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Here is a situation brought to my attention. If a filmmaker is online begging for donations – AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE!!! THEY DON'T DESERVE YOUR MONEY! The cost of making simple movies is nominal in the day & age of digital. If you want to be a filmmaker bad enough, you can make it work within your schedule and finances. The worst thing in the world is when these crazy yahoos pull a number out of their butts and say, "I need $10,000 to finish my movie." There is no budget; there is no breakdown of where that money will be spent. Don't give them a dime; you're only wasting it on someone who won't be able to accomplish their goals.

If these wannabes can't raise $10,000 to finish a project that cost $35.67 to shoot, they ain't gonna spend that money wisely. It's obvious they don't have a grasp of film financing and budgeting with things so lopsided. It's like donating cash to a crack addict, not helping an artist achieve their goals.

Too many whiners out there are expecting life as an artist to be easy. It's not. Quit crying, baby, grow up, and play the cards life dealt you. Seems like everywhere you go, there's some girly filmmaker crying about "I have to work full time and because I have rent to pay and food to buy, that somehow prevents me from succeeding as a filmmaker…." Well pussy, life is hard. There is no magical pussy filmmaker fairy that will grant your wishes. Make great movies within your meager budgets. Find the balance and harmony between your world of employment and desires to make movies. If it's meant to be, you'll find the happiness and money and opportunities will find YOU. No one wants to donate to some crybaby that whines about the world being against them. There are no short cuts and nothing will be easy. Life as a filmmaker ain't for wimps. Pussies need to stand up and take responsibility for their own actions & situation.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=END RANT=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Life in Rossdonia moves forward. The new bathroom and kitchen will begin anew before the new year. Investing in our condo can't be a bad thing. "V" is verboten to be in the bathroom, a.k.a. the MAGIC ROOM. I have no explanation for this, but "V" is obsessed with the bathroom. Just being in there makes him purr and relax. He can be mad as hell, but 2 seconds in there and he is relaxed, purring and positively glowing with happiness. With the floor being up and the walls exposed, we don't want him eating things that will hurt him, so his Magic Room time is limited. Sometimes he cries at the closed door.

At night, he sleeps on my back. Cousette is not allowed on the bed or "V" will attack and pounce. Jealousy abound in Rossdonia. I try to make it up to her during the day.

I'm trying to cook more. I want to make more of my own food but until the kitchen gets remodeled, this will be difficult. I'm also starting to re-aquire some of the DVD's stolen when our house got broken into. So far, buying used DVD's, I'm spending about 20% of what it cost me to buy them the first time. FUTURAMA was the first thing I wanted back because I watch it so much on DVD. It helps to have extra income from book sales (just got a royalty check foro TALES FROM THE FRONT LINE) and my editing class.

Look, I won ANOTHER award on Sony Picture's CRACKLE.COM! I can't turn around without getting some kind of accolade. How many awards till someone can call themselves Award Winning? Answer: one.

I've re-made the "Best of Sonnyboo" DVD for Amazon.com, which will soon have it for sale on their site.

I've lost steam and must get to paid writing now.

Trailing off into confusion,
Ross