The Drawings Look Like That Of A Serial Killer

Kazakh Dispatch - Day 3, Ok so we have been given the opportunity to work with a great Russian storyboard artist. Now, for all my non film friends, a storyboard artist is essentially an illustrator who's "Whole Job" it is, is to visualize via drawings and sketches all of the planned shots of a film to allow all departments on a film to properly prepare for a shoot. I had originally sent over my descriptions for the big action scene at the end of the film to the Artist in Moscow, but apparently due to translation reasons the Artist was not sure what I wanted, so I opted to try and draw the stuff out myself. 2 words on that: Bad, Idea. As my dear comrade Langford, the witty Brit who's also from UCLA and part of this lovely endeavor pointed out: "Oh god man, the drawings look like that of a serial killer, I mean what is that?"
So all I will publicly humiliate myself by posting some of the most egregious of the drawings to see if you all make heads or tails of them.

I mean come on? Is this not absolutely clear

a work of modern art?

Especially classy is the lack of scanner so I had to take photos from Photobooth












Today we did visit the top of the spire which gives you a great view of this intricately planned city, and then we went to get us some souvenirs. Which was really a trip to a mall but wait till you see the photos you will all thing we were in a hut in the dessert somewhere. 

Anyway, tomorrow is the big pitch day, I do hope to have a bit better concept art to support my pitch and then we will see what happens. All in all the best part of this trip has been the relationships created with dear Langford, our other" AFI Guy" Geoffrey, and our French contestant Emmanuelle.


Over and out

Geographer

Just found a new sound, from a New Jersey guy now based out of San Fransisco with the band Geographer. I just heard their song Kites on indie feed and am actually playing it once a day. Has those great harmonies with a small beat behind a sing songy vocal. They are playing in NYC on July 1 and 3.

To listen to more go to their myspace http://www.myspace.com/geographermusic

You are connected to Dolf Lungdren's Macbook Air

So, Day 2 Kazakh Dispatch - I write from my hotel room at the King Hotel Astana, not the Rixos Hotel (where I am pictured above) which we spent most of our day. The Rixos is where the "VIPs" are housed including, the infamous Dolf (of which this post is dedicated), Hillary Sawnk, and Harvey Wienstien. We stayed at the Rixos for most of the day working with our stories and spying who else was on our network other than Dolf. I did manage to snap a photo with the fine Ms. Swank, and Dolf did a wonderfully cheesy opening at the ceremony last night in which he got on stage with 4 cronies in tuxedos holding wood broads and he chopped them in half and did some fancy karate movie on each of the poor young offenders. It all made for a fabulous show that included a live orchestra in full Kazakh garb. The festival has been a bit of a "storied' affair if you will, but we're making the most of it.

We've decided that tomorrow will be a day to take on the town which has approximately 4 sights to see, and 1 of which is a spa at the Rixos.  This city is still completely under construction and is quite reminicint of Vegas, where its totally barren landscape then suddenly incredibly gaudy gold sky scrapers which jut out of the vast open plains. The streets are all newly paved and the driving is reckless. What we have yet to figure out is where the people live, we suppose somewhere in the big high rises but this is a city that is being built to hold millions upon millions and we doubt more than 1 million live here. Its like a sim city experiment project but in real life.

Signing off for now and leaving you with the key image

From Vienna

Live blogging here from the museum quarrier platz after a ridiculos flight over we climbed 356 stairs to the top of the cathedral. Just talking shop seems like our fest is quite legit. We're in search of coffee and food but we're planted on silly pink couches and enjoying the sun more to come

The Festival Gets Hollywood Cred in The Hollywood Reporter

Well Today we made it to the First page of The Hollywood Reporter in this little blurb which was much cooler in the print version than in the online version. But who am I to complain, guess I got to catch up on the Twilight Series.

Our Little Moment in the sun (or ink, if you will):
The festival is also running a screenplay competition, with the winner receiving a cash prize as well as a chance to develop their script with Bekmambetov’s production company, Bazelevs.

Musically Obssessed

So as I've told some I am an indie music fanatic. If its a band with a small following I tend to love it. Though the music industry may be crumbling I think music fandom is at an all time high. We as fans are getting so much good music so quickly it's hard to keep up or listen. I'll try to post all of my current obsessions but below are a few:

Fol Chen - Something quite unique


Sleigh Bells - Can't get enough of it .. and I just don't know why

Bat For Lashes - She's got some voice

The Kazakh Dispatch - Intro

As a finalist of the Astana International Film Festival I will get to Pitch the screenplay I optioned for a panel of Judges in Astana Kazakhstan. All expenses paid! So the first order of buisness getting there! Below is my gnarly flight schedule:

Dear finalist of the AAIFF Screenplay competition.

We are happy to present the schedule for the Astana Festival, which will help you plan your visit. We hope you will enjoy Kazakhstan and take part in all main events of the program.

SERVICE        FROM                TO                     DEPART  ARRIVE
-------------- ------------------- --------------------- -------- -------
AUSTRIAN - OS 7998
SAT 26JUN      LOS ANGELES CA      NEW YORK NY            0610     1439
NON STOP       INTL                JOHN F KENNEDY
               EQUIPMENT:BOEING 757-200/300
 UA 0084       FLIGHT OPERATED BY UA UNITED AIRLINES
               RESERVATION CONFIRMED - M ECONOMY
 
 
AUSTRIAN - OS 88
SAT 26JUN      NEW YORK NY         VIENNA AT              1750     0835
NON STOP       JOHN F KENNEDY      VIENNA INTL                     27JUN
               EQUIPMENT:BOEING 777-200/200ER
               RESERVATION CONFIRMED - M ECONOMY
 
 
AUSTRIAN - OS 697
SUN 27JUN      VIENNA AT           ASTANA KZ              2025     0540
NON STOP       VIENNA INTL                                         28JUN
               EQUIPMENT:AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A320-100/200
               RESERVATION CONFIRMED - M ECONOMY
 
 
AUSTRIAN - OS 698
SAT 03JUL      ASTANA KZ           VIENNA AT              0710     0905
NON STOP                           VIENNA INTL
               EQUIPMENT:AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A320-100/200
               RESERVATION CONFIRMED - Y ECONOMY
 
 
AUSTRIAN - OS 93
SAT 03JUL      VIENNA AT           WASHINGTON DC          1130     1515
NON STOP       VIENNA INTL         DULLES INTL
               EQUIPMENT:BOEING 767-300/300ER
               RESERVATION CONFIRMED - Y ECONOMY
 
 
AUSTRIAN - OS 7867
SAT 03JUL      WASHINGTON DC       LOS ANGELES CA         1725     1939
NON STOP       DULLES INTL         INTL
               EQUIPMENT:BOEING 777-200/300
 UA 0967       FLIGHT OPERATED BY UA UNITED AIRLINES
               RESERVATION CONFIRMED - Y ECONOMY

The Blog Moves Home

So I've moved my lovely blog to this sweet new address I will put up all past posts today and add the new info as it comes! Also I've added the Kazakh Dispatch for my travels to Kazakhstan next week. Hope you all track me! I Think I'll need to add this to my travels but not sure if I'll be able to actually pronounce the words:

Older Post: No Pants Day

Another reason to love NYC.
Yesterday was the 9th annual No Pants Day. I got great updates from my favorite person about this as she rode the subway with her fellow pantsless New Yorkers.  What I love from these pictures is that the people are going about their normal day with no pants. It’s really all about the sock choice.
It was about 20 degrees in NYC yesterday so these are real champs.

Older Post: The 4 year who was suspended

Alright everyone so a 4 year old in Texas is suspended for wearing his hair long to school. Why Texas, Why must you live up to the stereotype?!  Some highlights:
Incident occurred in Mesquite (yes like the flavor) TX
School Board voted to unanimously to enforce its ban on Beatles haircuts. - Really everyone was in agreement about this? Really? I wonder if they get so huffy about harassment or sexism or racism. I’m just saying.
Boy’s mother’s name is Elizabeth Taylor. - I just found that cool.
The parents rejected a compromise proposed by the board under which they would braid his hair and pin it up. - Some how braiding is ok, but long not ok? Really?
I must quote my dear friend Lamont on this:
“It’s amazing that the same folks who crow on and on about the government taking away their freedoms are the first ones to deny freedom to others.”
A coda: It’s raining in LA. Waaa Waaaa.

Older Post: Truism

Ok I can’t take credit for this goodness but some of them are so true I may add some sizzle to some of them as well:
– Even when opportunity knocks, you still have to get off your ass and open the door.
1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to
immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong. (SO TRUE)
3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger. (In fact I used to tell my overworked mother sleep is for the weak, man is Karma going to be a bitch!!!)
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font. (So true, even in real life as I speak I wish the sarcasm font would come out of my mouth)
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? (ok this I know, get a cuban mom you’ll learn)
6. Was learning cursive really necessary? (total waste of time)
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood. (and those first five are usually wrong, this is why I call my GPS Piss off)
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.
13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this - ever. (I think dry cleaning is a plot by the government to ruin society)
15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello?  Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away? (Pisses me off so much)
16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste. (now that I live in LA totally happens wayyyy too much)
17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
21. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.
22. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. (to be clear I would rather carry 10 in each arm shove one in the backpack and one in my mouth than make 2 trips)
23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text. (happens more than I will ever admit)
24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. ( think that but really I know and I just tell myself this is hunger)
25. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?
26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent an A-hole from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?
29. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists. (unless I’m on a bike, but even then other cyclists annoy me)
31. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is. (And then I look at my blackberry and am still confused)
32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!