grrr.

I had planned to shoot my next film in May, but I’m not ready and May is just around the corner. Once again time snuck up on me. I know I’ve been really busy - Making Spring Break plans and submitting Ninja James and the Beast Boy to film festivals, and working with my kids on their projects and driving them places, and working on Eulogy Maker in post and researching cars to replace our old decrepit wheezing ford explorer (plus doing a hell of a lot of daydreaming about making films and acting and working on a set!). But I wasn’t working on my screenplay. Grrr. enough whining, I need to get writing!!!

EULOGY MAKER

Here's the opening shot from my short film Eulogy Maker. The photo is a little stretched, but you get an idea of the look and feel of the film.
I'm really proud of the way it's coming together and I can't wait until it's finished and sent out into the world.
Just a few more weeks of editing...

Copies ready for you!!

Cast and Crew and Everyone who helped in the making of Ninja James and the Beast Boy,

Thank you so much for all of your hard work, effort and patience. We greatly appreciate everything you did to help put this film together!!

We now have copies available for everyone(!!), and they are ready to be picked up or if you're out of town, I can get it to you snail mail.

Let me know (email me or leave a reply here) and I’ll get back with you. J

THANKS!!!!

!!!YEAH!!!

Leslie

NINJA JAMES AND THE BEAST BOY

I’m very super incredibly happy to report that Ninja James and the Best Boy is back on track!! The DVD’s should be available to cast and crew in the next few weeks and I am in the process of submitting it to the film festivals.

Congrats to everyone who contributed to the making of this little film and thank you for your time and patience.

Learning Then and Now

When I was little, learning was often a process of overcoming the difficulty of sitting still long enough, to focus on rather boring material. I enjoyed writing or performing, because those were imaginary wonderful worlds, but facts and figures never stayed concrete for long. Soon equations would start making up their own stories and by the end of the assignment, the numerators were the pompous elitists and didn’t realize that the denominators were plotting to overthrow them. Seven times six equaled 42, which sat under the eves in a rain storm, while Eight was a large medieval ogre that bullied and intimidated the lower numbers. Fortunately the Nines were angels that curved protectively around the others and helped deliver them to the land of Tens. Wonderful strong Tens. The first little numbers that used the buddy system.

Needless to say - I didn’t go far in math and sciences.

Jump ahead by a whole bunch of years, and while I have conquered basic math and can even balance a spreadsheet, I’m learning about a whole new world that is taking my love of make-believe and stories and turning them into images for other. I’m learning how to write and make movies. Not in a formal setting, but in every film I work on, with each screenplay I write, and on each set I’m lucking enough to be on. My material is my life, my teachers are my friends and it’s a school I’ll be enrolled in for the rest of my life.

Words and Me

Words to Remember:

When auditioning – The more I want it, the more I’ll screw it up.

When acting – Be in the moment. Nothing else matters.

When parenting – Kids are not little extensions of yourself or anyone else.

When living – Don’t lose sight of the big picture.

More Words to Remember:

Where you are today was through your own choices.

Being vulnerable allows life to happen through you.

Already, you are what you want to be. Your actions allow everyone else to see it.

Thinking too much replaces living.

FEARLESS

My New Year’s Resolution word for 2010 is FEARLESS. It is a word that will be with me all year and if I’m lucky, it will stick with me for the rest of my life.

The really neat thing about this word, is that it gets stronger the more you share it. So I’m giving this word to you. Yes, you! Completely and unconditionally.

Now you are fearless too.

Fearless feels great.

Stays and Goes

A new year is upon us. The big reminder that time is moving forward and there’s nothing we can do about it. The global “Ahh shit, I’m older.”

Which is a drastically different mentality from what I grew up with. As a kid, and through college, I always felt young and I could do anything.

At some point though, it changed and I grew up. It wasn’t one thing, but many realizations that built upon themselves. Moments that culminated and have resulted in me sitting here now, writing bits and pieces of thoughts.

So, with the New Year coming up and reflecting on the past, I’ve been been revisiting the old me - wondering, what is gone and what remains.

Well, I’m not selfish anymore, and I’m certainly not naïve. I’ve got a good grasp that life is not fair or easy, and fun and exciting is something you grab -not wait to happen. Which leaves me with hope. Simple and strong. It’s what has quietly been with me all along and continues to move me forward - eager for the next day.

I may be tapping away at the keyboard, thinking “crap, we’re getting old!,” but I’m excited about what the new year is going to bring. It’s taken awhile to understand it, but the key ingredient in my life is Hope and that’s pretty wonderful.

Happy New Year Everyone and here’s to an abundance of happiness, health and hope in the coming year.

stress vs. de-stress

It's so hard to cool one's jets when they're on a roll. O.K. let's switch to first person and call it like it is - I hate stopping anything when I get something in my sights. I think that's why I'm not that keen on holidays. Everyone goes on these dang holidays and nothing gets done. Everything comes to a stop and focus is shifted to relaxing - no more emails, no more meetings, no more "Let's Go!" going on.
Sure I'm all for holiday cheer, peace and good will to all, and hanging out, but this de-stressing, just stresses me out.
Go figure.

Is Good.

Feeling very hopeful. Got that if you believe, it will happen kind of thing going on. A nice change from the NFV (negative f***ing voice) that's usually harping on me. The film is progressing and I'm cooking up ideas for the next film.
Hopeful is good. Really good.