actors, acTORS, ACtors

So the actor that I really wanted for the movie this summer really likes the script but wants lots of money to do it. Lots of money that we don't have. With that said, he's a no go. BUT Gary might have a meeting with Martin Starr tomorrow. I will wait anxiously by the phone to find out how it went. Oh please, oh please, oh please.

And I feel really sad that Martin Scorsese didn't get an Oscar last night. I bet he's one of the nicest guys in the world. He just seems like it by the looks of him.

Bridge Woes

I'm having issues with bridges. Some are too tall. Some are too small. Some are too blah. Some are too agh. Some are too dangerous. Some are outrageous. I need a good bridge. One that when people jump off of it, they won't be plummeting to their death. One that has a little bit of character. One that looks a little scary. One that we can use cheaply or for free. Free preferably.

As I waited in line at Waterloo Records this morning in the freezing cold for an hour and a half to buy SXSW wristbands for my bosses' friends' son and his son's girlfriend, I listened to two girls behind me chat away about being taste testers for Annheiser Busch. They were very young, (college maybe) and said, "like" and "OH MY GOD!" a lot.

Cursed

I'm VERY excited about the new Wes Craven film Cursed. I'm a total sucker for teenage slasher flicks. I just love 'em. And to be honest, I really like the Wes Craven, Kevin Williamson combination. And speaking of which, where has Kevin Williamson been keeping himself these days?

WALTER LEHMAN SCREENING

Walter Lehman, starring Scott Bate and Jerry Turman will screen at the Hideout Theater (Congress Avenue) in Austin at 7:30pm on Thursday, February 24th. It's free to the public.

Scott and Jerry kick ass in this film.

Ella Mayfair and the gang.

Kurt and I took a break from storyboarding yesterday to visit Chadwick and Wendy's new baby, Ella Mayfair Chennault. She's so beautiful. She has Chadwick's chin dimple and Wendy's little nose. They'll be good parents. You can totally see it.

It sounds like a bunch of us will be having babies in the next year or two. We'll have play groups instead of drunken parties and go to Chuck E Cheese instead of Castle Hill. We'll compare our kids' Halloween costumes and sneak their candy when they go to bed. We'll enroll them in ballet and gymnastics. Some of our respective roles in their social activities ...

Mark - Tee Ball Coach, forces them to listen to music on really big headphones
Chadwick - Soccer Coach and R rated movies
Jim - Boy Scout Leader, the kids' first introduction to fire and destruction
Kat - Head of the Saturday morning movie club, Brownie Leader
Nevie - Hosts the kids' dance party USA
Karen - PTA Leader, bakes cookies and takes them to Storytime
Mandy - Takes the kids to the mall to buy cool clothes
Victor - Plays Legos with them and helps them with their homework
Ryan - Gives them bowling lessons and facials
Aaron and Debbie - The kids come over to play Super Mario Bros.
Kurt - teaches them how to play with Star Wars Action Figures
Meredith - the Soccer mom, watches them at the pool

New additions.

The world is good. It's neatly piecing together in beautiful ways. Ways I wouldn't have expected.

Rescue Me got into a cool program with Working Films. Lorie will go to a workshop in Massachusettes where she'll learn how to create an outreach program for the doc. Stacy and I were talking last night how this is the first bit of validation for the film. When an outsider who doesn't know us from adam, puts their stamp of approval on it, it actually means something. It feels good. For me, it was when I got my TFPF grant for cicadas. It was like ... this is real. I'm a real filmmaker. I've been validated.

Everything for jumping off bridges is falling into place pretty nicely. The elements are coming along. Between the three of us, we've been meeting with lawyers, casting people, stunt people, locations people ... We've been on the phone with crane people, film stock people, camera owners ... Jim, Kurt and I start storyboarding on Sunday. I'm looking forward to the collaboration with those boys.

AND my friends and I are anxiously awaiting a new member into our friend's family. Our friends' Chadwick and Wendy are in labor as I write this. I started crying when Kurt emailed me the news this morning. I can't wait to see the new little one.

Watching them go by.

The Film:
Super 16mm or 35mm. If you know of someone who has a cheap camera package that we can rent, email me.

Survey says ... the Bastrop Bridge is too high. Even my stunt guy says he wouldn't jump off of it. But it's so friggin' beautiful. Stacy and I are going to check out some bridges in San Marcos and New Braunfels next weekend.

My Weekend:
I watched the marathoners Sunday morning. I started to cry. I couldn't help it. I wanted to sneak onto the course with them. I wanted people to cheer my name as I sweated and panted along the roadway. I wanted volunteers to hand me water cups and packets of liquid calories. I wanted to come to the finish line and pass out in my friend's arms. I wanted to celebrate with eating a whole pizza. Instead, I stood on the sidelines sipping on my Rasberry tea from Quacks and clapping here and there.

Online, offline, left, right.

I feel like tearing my hair out. Talking to post houses, equipment rental places ... thinking about shooting ratios and film to minutes to feet ... down converting, online, offline, left, right ... blah, blah, blah. This is not the fun part. I don't like this part at all.

We're scouting the Bastrop Bridge again tomorrow. Me, Jim, Stacy and Kerry (my stunt guy). I'm looking forward to meeting him. He's a sweetheart on the phone. Just a good, southern type a guy.

I've been working on my shot list, schedule ... all of that good stuff. Stacy's been busy preparing for a test screening of Rescue Me that took place last night (and went very well). Hopefully between the two of us, we'll be able to make some headway on the budget. It's so gross. SO GROSS. I hate money. Just hate it, hate it, hate it.

Struggling for air.

I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed. Struggling a bit for air. Maybe it's just today. I hope so.

I'm happy that Nathan and David are back. Talking to the two of them today over email made me smile. I miss those boys.

Gary Chason

Gary Chason is my favorite new friend. The man makes me grin from ear to ear.

Bridges

I found the perfect bridge this weekend. I'm not so sure I would jump from it. I have a thing about heights.

I watched The Last Picture Show again last night. My god, I just ... that movie is heaven to me. The relationship between Ruth and Sonny makes my heart break. Bogdanovich nailed it.

So close ...

jumping off bridges will be in the hands of the actor that's number one on my list by tomorrow. He knows that it's coming and it's been recommended to him by a mutual friend. My heart is racing a million miles a minute just thinking about it. Will he love the script and the character enough to take a pay cut? Will he see something in the story and connect with it? Man, oh man. I'm dying.