What's in a Name?

sonnyboo — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:21:53 +0000

My name is not actually “Sonnyboo”. Nor is it “Sonny” or any variation therein.

I was born Peter John Ross on January 24th in Reynoldsburg Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. I am the 4th child in a family of 4 kids. My mother named the other 3 so my dad finally got to name me for once. I was named after “Pete Rose” and “Johnny Bench” of the baseball team the Cincinnati Reds from their heyday of the BIG RED MACHINE. When I was a kid, I was called by friends & family “Pete”, but never “Peter” unless I did something very wrong and got caught. So by the time I lived in Wadsworth Ohio, I heard my name as “Peter John!” a lot when the police would bring me home in the back of the squad cars, quite a bit more often than maybe I should have, but I was young and most of what I did was harmless.

When we moved to El Paso Texas, I was addicted to the music of the Sex Pistols, and although my preference was for bassist Sid Vicious, I was subbed “Johnny Rotten” for my behavior by friends and teachers, and the family still called me “Pete”, but I didn’t spend as much time with them, so it was always “Johnny Rotten”.

Moving back to Ohio, to Pickerington, no less, for my last 2 years of High School, I felt like a different person, but somehow similar to whom I was, so I went by “John”. Somehow, people wanted to specify which John, so it was “JohnRoss” almost like one word.

Shortly after high school, I worked at a movie theater, and quickly rose into management, as in an Assistant Manager! The company policy required that I be called “Mister Ross”, but I was all of 18-20 years old, and so I said to the staff, “just call me ‘Ross’” and that has been my name ever since. I don’t know why, or how, but that has been my pseudo preference ever since. It’s just kinda been how I am addressed and what I respond to, but to be honest none of those names really match. I don’t know what name I would choose now.

When working as a broker for Bank One, I even had my name plate say “ ‘just ‘Ross’ “ plus another one that simply says “Ross, as seen on TV” which was a joke then, and not so much these days, although whenever I tell my parents I’ll be on the local news, they ask me what I did wrong this time.

Professionally I go by “Peter John Ross”, cursed with three first names like a presidential assassin, but I can tell my friends or people who know someone who knows me if they refer to me as “Ross”. If I get an email or a phone call asking for “Peter”, I assume it’s a bill collector or telemarketer or that I’m still in trouble so then I kinda hide. Old habits. Some people think I hate my names or that it irritates me. I don’t hate being called “Peter”; I just don’t really know who that’s supposed to be. If you want to gauge whether or not I like you, I’ll tell you to please call me “Ross”, otherwise. The big clue that I don’t want to talk to you, I’ll let you keep calling me “Peter”.

That is the etymology of “Ross” as my name. Not really all that interesting if you think about it.

Sonnyboo's Blog: THE DARK KNIGHT EDITION!

sonnyboo — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:55:18 +0000

Well, I’m pumped. I’m going to the midnight screening of THE DARK KNIGHT. As I’ve said before, I’m not really that big of a Batman fan. I’ve never purchased a single Batman comic in my life, and I’ve had many a comics. I’m a moderate when it comes to Batman movies. I liked the 2 Tim Burtons, hated the 2 Joel Schumacher ones, and thought BATMAN BEGINS was okay. Well, ever since I saw that IMAX ™ clip, now officially dubbed “The Dark Knight Prologue”, I’ve been eager to see this movie.

I bought a BLU-RAY DVD of Batman Begins (my first batman movie purchase), and it contained in full HD 1080P glory the IMAX™ Dark Knight Prologue scene and I’ve played it at least a dozen times on my 42” HD screen with the 5.1 surround blaring until my ears bleed and the kitties hide in terror. I recently read that director/writer Christopher Nolan used the movie HEAT (1995, Michael Mann) as an influence. It shows. I called it last December (see previous blogs). Even my Sexy Fiancé Veronica ™ will attend the midnight show tonight, and she doth hateth the Comic Book movie genre.

I watch my webstats pretty closely, even when I don’t have new material out there. I like to watch the trends in viewers and what people like and don’t like, especially in regards to things I write and direct. What surprises me most is that HORRORS OF WAR ’s WEB DOC on the making of SCENE 6 has been the biggest hitter lately, at least on YOUTUBE ™. It averages a steady 150 views a day, some days more, some days a little less, but so far, it’s the front runner. The HORRORS OF WAR trailer still ranks highest in views, with the MOVIEMAKER TECHNIQUES not far behind, but I can’t figure out the attraction to the SCENE 6 WEBDOC . Granted, it’s my personal favorite, and it was the first one I did, but where are the hits coming from? Who is watching this and telling others to see it? I cannot trace the links to it, nor explain the months long fixation by several thousand online viewers.

A site called PERFORMING ARTISTS site] has linked to and used one of my articles trying to help struggling actors and directors avoid some pitfalls. When I stop getting giddy about seeing something I write or make mean something to other people – that is the day I should quit. Until then, I get excited.

I’m pumped. I feel like I just work up from a year long bad dream. With the upcoming COWTOWN FILM SERIES , where I’m showing 9-10 feature films made in Ohio, along with a new TV series shot in HD, I feel pretty darn supercilious towards many. It’s not unlike getting revived with a jolt of energy in the gullet. My voice has returned, and with it, my inspirado.

I’ve lined up a local celebrity host for both the TV series and the COWTOWN FILM SERIES . Depending on if I go to Japan (looking more and more unlikely as each day passes without an airline ticket), I will have more time to dedicate to promotion and marketing for the film series. I benefit by having some of my shorts play before hand, but also, the general good will of working as a collective to support each other. If we can make a success out of these screenings, more wallets might open. Not only to shell out some $$$ to see locally produced movies, but also from potential investors who might see the future in what we are doing.

I started creating title sequences for the various “segments” of the show that are heavily inspired by the teachings of Andrew Kramer and Video Copilot.net . The kid’s a freakin’ genius. From some of the HORRORS OF WAR screenings, people seemed to really like my “pre-show entertainment” segments of material that played before the show. This time, I’m taking it up 20 notches. I’m 2 months out and already putting my Shiite together. I won’t take any chances, and taking my lessons learned.

Time to take everything up a notch. It’s been far too long, my faithful droogies.

=-? PJR

tossing salad

What's in a Name?

Sonnyboo's Blog: THE DARK KNIGHT EDITION!