Big in Japan

[At the Indie Fest Awards with Sotu a.k.a. the CannibAlien, whose short "CannibAlien" also won]

I promised on the STM Facebook page that the next posting would be about the photo on this link:

http://ameblo.jp/cannibalien/image-10344096510-10255080138.html

I can't seem to copy & paste the pic, which sucks because I really love this pic! It is even better than the one above. Everything on the page is in Japanese, though, so I can't tell if there is a way to do it that I can't figure out.

Well, ALMOST everything is in Japanese. The caption of this photo reads "CannibAlien Can't Eat Rat". I was quite taken aback by this. I thought maybe Sotu thought it was a page I would never see and he was outright insulting me! This hurt my feelings, because he was very nice at the film festival and I talked to him several times. But finally I found that using one of the buttons that are in Japanese, I could scroll through other pictures of him with the mask at the awards night, and in all of them, he was pretending to eat some screaming person, and under each, the caption was, "CannibAlien Can't Eat Rat." Maybe it is a generalization about Americans, or maybe this is a ridiculously funny joke in Japan that just doesn't translate. Couldn't tell you.

Without rehashing everything I have already told you about Indie Fest and how weird it was to be in freakin' Disney Land by one's self, I do want to tell you a little about Sotu (as I only know a little about him). I believe he is the writer/director on CannibAlien, but I am not sure because his English was limited (though 100% better than my Japanese), and that is not the name on the credits.

I think Sotu was the only other filmmaker at the fest who was traveling by himself. The first day, he asked me where the sign-in table was and I pointed it out to him. The second night, I was standing in front of the theater waiting for the nightly Disney fireworks to start. He was nearby and kept looking at me. I knew he wanted to talk to me, but since for the first day and a half no one was really socializing, I was sliding dangerously deep into solitary mode. All these things were going through my stupid head,

Jeanie, for pete's sake, just talk to the poor guy, he obviously wants to talk to you, and I don't think it is in a hitting-on-me way at all, I am not getting that vibe, he's just alone, like you, in this weird place, which is even weirder for him because it is a foreign country, just give him the green light to say hello, you are probably looking like a stuck-up bitch right now, just SAY SOMETHING,

He kept lurking about and finally started talking to me, and I think we were both relieved. After that, it was all good and when we would run into each other at the fest we would smile and chat for a minute, and I was very happy for him when his short won because it was honestly REALLY good and he seemed to relax and have a lot of fun that night.

I just flipped back through the posts I wrote from Indie Fest, and I can't believe I didn't mention Bob Keiper. He is an actor who had a short in the fest. I met him at the Opening Night Party, while we were in line waiting to go into the ballroom at the Disney Hotel. He is an older gentleman, and asked if he could cut in line with me, his family was already inside. We exchanged vital movie-related stats while we shuffled slowly to the door, and once inside, he invited me to sit at the table with him and his wife and the director and producer of his movie, "A Dance of Two". Bob lives in Northern Virginia and we had a lot to chat about, and I spent a good bit of time talking to his very sweet wife, also. They both talked about how Bob was not usually very outgoing in a crowd of people that he doesn't know, so it is hard for him to force himself to network. Of course I said, me, too! Later, Bob and I walked around a little bit and did exactly that. It was easier to do it with someone who felt the same way. I've taken that walk sometimes with people who are VERY good at schmoozing and I can sometimes become a shrinking violet in that situation. But here was Bob, who has not only got a few years on me but is also SAG, and he is just as shy as I can be when I am out of my element! To have a compatriot in that situation made it a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable.

When I first got my feet wet in the biz, I thought I was the only one who felt that way, but in talking to a lot of filmmakers, I have found out that it is really the norm. We're all in the same boat. We are in an unfamiliar city, sometimes even in an unfamiliar country, putting ourselves on display via our films, waiting to be judged, hoping for the best and almost constantly just wishing someone would talk to us.

At the Heart of England Festival, my first, it was cool because everything was so contained, and none of the other filmmakers had brought a traveling companion, and most of them were American, so we just automatically hung out together. In Philly, I was a bit overwhelmed, it was much larger, much more spread out, social gatherings every night, and everyone was rabidly marketing themselves. Mikey was there with me, and in retrospect, I will admit I used him as a crutch and was not nearly as social as I should have been, though I did meet several people there with whom I am still in touch.

But Indie Fest really sealed the deal for me in a way, and it is frustrating to me now to not have another festival lined up because now I think I've got it. I met some people there who made some GREAT movies, and some of them had rather large groups with them, but they seemed really happy when I would make the rally call, "Let's go have a drink at the House of Blues!" Winning Best Director gave me more confidence in my abilities in that capacity, but attending these festivals has given me immeasurably more confidence in my self, and I am finding myself to be comfortable more and more often in situations that not that long ago would have completely stressed me out.

Some filmmakers put WAY too many expectations on the festival circuit, and others think it is a load of crap and there is little to be gained from it. The people who keep their respective faiths at those opposing extremes are missing much of the point and most of the fun, in my opinion. I went into this with no delusions of grandeur, and personally, I think they were worth every penny.

Finally!!!

After several days of feeling like a freaking leper, or that I wasted a lot of money coming out here, finally I have various people talking/responding to me, including the guy that I thought was Jason Schwartzman. He's not. But he's still cute. Just with a smaller mole.

Besides I just found out that Jason Schwartzman just got married, so screw that guy (who has never met me and has no idea who I am) for not waiting for me.

Tonight was actually FUN. Karaoke (as a spectator sport only) at the House of Blues. I am fading so I will leave it at that. Can't wait to see (at a minimum) Adam, Steve, and Cindy tomorrow night; but I hope to see many others, including Vince, Patrick, Joe, Sato, Paul's friends, etc...

I gotta sleep. G'night.

Concessions

Does a fake tan qualify as acquiescing to the superficiality of LALALand? Look, I was downright pasty. Something had to be done.

Actually, haven't even seen that many plastic people and certainly haven't met any. Since my ZZTop adventure, I haven't met anyone except film people (and the bartender at the ESPNZone), and since they are INDIE film people, they are all pretty cool.

I am not quite sure what is going on day to day here. There is no organized destination for the filmmakers to gather at the end of the day, which kind of, well, blows, because that is half the fun. But the day ends late here, last films aren't over until 11pm-ish, so that only leaves room for the hardcore to go out for a few... and apparently I haven't run into them yet.

This is my third fest and they have each been so different. Though Indie Fest has less films than the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival had, there is a far better turnout of filmmakers and their entourages. However, the audiences at each screening seem to be made up of only those same people - no locals. And though there is LOADS of foot traffic past the theater, we don't seem to be capturing any of it. The people who are walking by are here for Disney Land. And when you are paying $72 a day to go to an amusement park, you aren't going to spend any of that time (let alone extra money) in a movie theater.

And the majority of people who are here to support their films, much like the tourists, travel in packs. For many it is an excuse to come to "L.A.", though that is equivalent to being accepted to a film festival in Baltimore and using it as an excuse to go to D.C. I went to 4 screenings today (5 if you count the one I walked out of, but more on that in a minute). Most of the people that I met at the opening night party that I saw here today only went to their own screening and maybe one other.

I won't mention the names of the films I didn't care for, but I will tell you what I liked best. I started off with a foreign feature today that sounded interesting. Technically it was very good, but I could tell you the whole story in 3 to 4 sentences. It would have made a good 30 minute short. But it had two child actors who were wonderful, and initially I was very impressed by some of the steadicam shots. But then it ended up having a slew of steadicam shots, and even though those are difficult and impressive, if the film is a one-trick pony it is not as interesting to watch after awhile.

The second screening I went to was a shorts block. I did not originally intend to go to this block because none of the synopses struck my fancy, but the first buddy I made at the opening night reception was an older gentleman named Bob, who very kindly folded me into his own entourage at the party before I could even start to feel silly being there alone. I have not yet met ANYONE who has a film here who is here all by themselves. Bob is a SAG actor who lives in Fairfax, and I had a lovely conversation with his wife about a documentary on photographer Eddie Adams that we have both seen, called, "An Unlikely Weapon". Anyway, Bob plays, well, a sugardaddy, in a short called, "A Dance of Two". I also met the writer/director and the producer at the party, so I wanted to see it.

"A Dance of Two," was definitely the best short in the block. I enjoyed Bob's performance, although I felt very sad for his character. This block was a very strange mash-up, which made it difficult to get into any particular mood, so I think it is a tribute to his performance that I could get my head into the story. First there were four animated shorts. Then a mix of a few comedies and a horror, then Bob's short, which was a straightforward drama, and then the last short was a Samurai sword-fighting piece!

What I have seen quite a bit of at festivals that annoys me are shorts that are obviously more about practicing, or showing off, techniques and effects (especially with animation) rather than telling a story. I don't go to the movies to see someone's senior project, I want to get caught up in a story and forget that it is just a movie. I want to connect with the character(s), I want to love them or even hate them. I don't want to just watch them do things and marvel at how they did them. But maybe that's just me.

There was another short in that block that I really loved, an animated short called, "Skylight." I laughed my ass off at that, and when the projectionist wasn't paying attention and started running it a second time (which he did three times within the block), I was almost disappointed when he caught himself and turned it off.

The third screening was another shorts block, and this I wanted to see because at the opening night party I had also met some of these people. A short titled, "Boundaries of Attraction," had brought their own motley crew of eleven people all the way from New Hampshire. I would probably have to say this is my favorite so far, it was a very brave and very complicated piece, and had some very good performances.

Another very good one was called, "Captain." I had met a woman, I think she was the actress in the piece, at the opening night party. She was a machine. She swooped in on me and said something like, "You look like a dynamic female filmmaker that I need to meet," as she pressed a postcard of her movie into my hand. Then she said something about only asking one favor of me, and that was to see her movie. I was fine with all of that and was about to continue the conversation, but that was really all she wanted to say to me or hear from me, and she swooped onto the next person. I do admire her, I guess you'd call it, efficiency, but to be honest, I would not have felt guilty if I did not end up seeing, "Captain," because she made no real connection with me. Turns out, though, that it was VERY funny, and very polished, and I am glad I got to see it, even though it faked the death of one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen.

Also in that block was a short called, "The Cost of Living," which was very cute and starred Jim J. Bullock and Molly Hagan, who has been in a lot of stuff but I always remember her from the short-lived and underrated sitcom, "Herman's Head." She was one of the people in his head. She was actually in the audience, so a real celebrity sighting! She seemed very nice and I was within a few feet of her, but didn't really have anything to say, so I didn't speak to her. I thought I had seen Jason Schwartzman at the opening night party, but I was never quite sure it was him, and by the time I got up the (liquid) courage to go up and talk to him, he had disappeared. Which was probably best for everyone.

Part of this is my training from back in my D.C. days, dealing with celebrity clientele at the hotel that I worked in. I met loads of famous people, but I never asked anyone for an autograph, and very rarely was I ever impressed enough that they made me nervous. One exception was Adam Ant, but hey, it was the 80's, and though I could have probably beat him up, he was still hot. The other reason I don't bother celebrities unless I have something extremely pertinent to say, is that I always remember a story about a friend of a friend who ran into Dame Judy Dench (or was it the other Dame actress whose name I can't recall? Maggie Smith? I don't know...) outside of a theater in London. At a loss for words, my friend's friend blurted out, "I loved you in "Sister Act Two"! Not even "Sister Act ONE." She had to go with "Sister Act TWO." Needless to say, Dame Whomever completely ignored her, after visibly wincing.

The fourth screening... my first choice was a feature comedy, for a couple reasons. First, I wanted to check out the competition. I think there are 4 or 5 other feature length comedies besides "Smalltimore." Secondly, it was made by a female writer/director/and I think also actor. I like meeting people who wear a lot of hats. Plus, the female filmmaker thing. This is a boys club, believe it. Having been through it myself, I like to see what makes them tick. The interesting thing is that it is something different every time and I feel these are the people (multi-taskers, both male and female) I can learn the most from and I definitely receive the most inspiration from them, they impress me and so in my mind I think I pit myself and what I can do against them and their own accomplishments.

Wearing all of those hats, just FINISHING a feature length, and then having it accepted into a decent festival, that is a lot to be proud of. But, if it is supposed to be a straight-up comedy... and I have only laughed out loud (I am not that tough an audience!) maybe once in the first 20 minutes... when I reach that point in a movie, I give myself another ten minutes. If I don't laugh out loud or at least am dying to see what happens next, I leave. It has only happened a handful of times in my life, I hate to walk out of a movie. But it happened today. I was really bummed about that.

I walked down the hall to another theater where there was yet another shorts program. This was a fairly cohesive block of drama and horror. Could have lived without most of them, but they were well done. I don't like blood & guts, but even seeing a well made horror flick is better than seeing a poorly executed comedy. It has been a crapshoot so far, but that seems to be par for the course at festivals. Audiences have also been scant, though the later the screening time, the bigger the audience, so I am hoping since "Smalltimore" has the last time slot on the last night that (a) we will have a decent audience and (b) it means that the programmers thought it was a strong piece. Cross your fingers and knock on wood for me, and I'll let you know how it turns out.

The Kindness of Strangers

I am writing to you from my hotel room in Anaheim, the Fairfield Marriott to be exact. A nice place, clean room, a pool, a Pizza Hut Express on the third floor. Too many kids running around for my taste, but what can you expect of Mouse Town? I am literally across the street from Disney Land.

I arrived yesterday afternoon, a day and a half before I can even register at Indie Fest, but I wanted to get my bearings and adjust to the time difference so I can hit the ground running. Since I flew AirTran and forgot that they don't feed you, I hadn't eaten since 8:00am east coast time and it was now eight hours later by the time I settled in to my hotel. Had a meal at the restaurant next to the hotel, Millie's, I think. McDonald's, IHoP, and Denny's abound here. Soooo many families with little ones. Found a mini-mart in a hotel half a block from me, so stocked up on some RIDICULOUSLY overpriced snacks and breakfast stuff to stick in my fridge. Still cheaper than eating out every meal, though.

In the early evening I decided to walk over to the AMC theater in Downtown Disney (where Indie Fest is taking place) to see what it was like. The next movie playing was "The Ugly Truth", which looked kind of cute, so I bought a ticket. Word of advice: wait to NetFlix it.

It wasn't horrible, but I can't say it was good. It had many of the attributes that I hate about typical romantic comedies, that I tried to avoid doing in "Smalltimore". For example, if you saw the commercial, you saw the movie. Absolutely not one single surprise. And then, of course, the charming rogue falls for her and has a change of heart about the existence of true love. Seriously, if any of you have ever met a man who has actually CHANGED, please put him under glass immediately, as he is the last of his kind and we need to perform scientific experiments on him. There are romantic men out there, I've met them - it's just that they've always been that way. And the manwhores start that way and stay that way as well. No offense intended, just calling 'em as I see 'em.

Though the film was disappointing, it made me feel better about "Smalltimore". I can't wait to see it again with a new audience. There are a couple things in "Smalltimore" that I was afraid would be obvious before the reveals, but based on crowd reaction at other screenings, apparently not everyone saw the twists coming, and I like that. Also feeling more confident about my sound, cuts, lighting and color. There were some glaring editing problems in "The Ugly Truth" that really surprised my for a "Hollywood" movie.

Afterwards, I walked across the promenade to the ESPNZone and had a cosmo there that was not too shabby. But everyone there, of course, was traveling in groups or couples and I felt like I stuck out, being alone. Traveling alone in Paris is wonderful, I love it. Traveling alone in Disney Land... I was starting to feel very awkward. And I didn't want to shake my confidence so early, I have a lot of schmoozing to do this week. So, with the plan of sneaking a couple cans of Bud Light from my room down to the pool and dangling my feet in the water, I headed back to the hotel.

I didn't get far when I saw a digital screen on the House of Blues that read "ZZtop!" I watched for a minute and then it said, "TONIGHT!" I thought, really? ZZtop at a bar in Disney Land? I watched it cycle through a few more times to make sure it was not some sort of ZZtop tribute band. Didn't seem to be, and didn't look that busy, so I walked up to the box office to see how much tickets were. Seemed like a random adventure, if it wasn't too expensive, why not?

There were only two people ahead of me, and I almost turned to leave, thinking there is no way this is going to be less than $40 or $50. Suddenly this man appeared out of nowhere beside me and asked, "Are you getting a ticket?" He looked to be in his 30s, short hair slicked back, a longish pointy beard, and more tattoos on his arms than I could count at a glance. He told me his girlfriend was sick and had to bail, he had an extra ticket and had paid over $80, would I take it for $40? He said he'd walk in with me and I could pay him inside, which was good cuz then I knew it wasn't a scam, but I really wasn't looking to pay more then $20-30. It was already showtime and I guess that was better then nothing, so he agreed to $20 and a drink, and we went in.

His name was Jason. He was super-nice and smiled all the time, he reminds me a little bit of Russell from the Wind-Up Space, if Russell was covered in ink. I had no cash on me and didn't see an ATM so I bought the first several rounds. But by the end of the concert I think Jason bought as many rounds as I did.

The concert was great, and I tell you what, those guys (ZZtop) are very, very smart. And very, very old. But the reason they are smart is because they have been doing this for decades and probably have another decade or so left in them, and they look and perform the same as they have from the very beginning. There is no acrobatics like the type a crowd expects from, say, The Rolling Stones or Aerosmith. You just have two guys in long full beards, playing guitar on stage. Once in awhile one stands behind the other and they swing their guitars in unison and the crowd roars. Brilliant!

On the way out, we stopped by the swag table to see if they had any ZZtop CDs. Inexplicably, they did not, and all the swag they did have was ridiculously overpriced. I strongly protested but Jason insisted on buying each of us a red bandana with an image of the ZZtop car in the center. It is a nice memento of a fun evening, but I won't even tell you what he paid for them. Then we went to get something to eat, as we had both had many beers and he still had to drive home. We found a cafe in Disney that was still serving food and split a few appetizers. After a bit I went to the restroom. When I came back, Jason was gone and our plates had been cleared from the table! I didn't know what to do. Had he really left without saying goodbye? I know he had to work in the morning but I didn't think I had taken that long in the bathroom, and we hadn't even really finished our meal. He had been too nice all evening to be this rude. Hadn't he? I sat down at the empty table, feeling idiotic. Maybe he had gone to the bathroom also. I'd wait a minute and see.

After what seemed a very long moment or three, he did indeed reappear, and yes, he had just gone to the bathroom also. I was quite relieved. "I thought you left!" I said. "And they cleared our plates." One of the apps had not even been touched, I couldn't believe they just ditched them. We talked for a moment, waiting for the waiter to bring the check. The waiter appeared, looking a little confused. "You... switched tables?" he asked. We looked to an empty table to our left - where our food was still sitting. I had sat down at the wrong table. We laughed our heads off.

Jason walked me back to my hotel, even though his car was parked several blocks in the opposite direction. He is a native and it was so nice to meet someone who totally shattered my pre-conceived notion of anyone living this close to L.A. He was very down to earth, generous, and hospitable, and actually would fit right in in Baltimore. He promised to come to the screening next Thursday with his girlfriend, and I really hope they show.

Tonight I am laying low, and have been living off the leftovers that we did end up having boxed up from the cafe. Tonight I am going to sift through all the movies screening at Indie Fest and figure out a game plan of what I want to see and any filmmaker panels I want to attend. I also am going to be breaking down a short script into a shooting schedule. Michelle will be DP and I will be PM/AD on a 3 day shoot in Arlington over Labor Day weekend. It looks to be a fun piece and I am looking forward to it. The nice thing about working on someone else's project is only having to wear 2 or 3 hats instead of nearly all of them. Well, I better get to it. All for now...

Victory is Ours!

[My first award, the Judith Rheiner Independent Spirit Honor! "The Red-Headed Menace" won 1st Place at the 29 Days Later Film Festival]

If you weren't at the Creative Alliance last night for the 29 Days Later Film Festival, you missed a great time. And not just because I won something shiny!

Dawn & Dean, the organizers of the event and the competition, did a fantastic job, as well as contributing shorts of their own to the evening's line-up, though they decided they were not personally eligible for an award. There were 10 films in the competition, plus Dean's and Dawn's, plus a bonus short from Mob Television, so attendees got to see THIRTEEN shorts for $8! There was drama, horror, and lots of comedy. No two were alike, and all were enjoyed by a very enthusiastic (and sold-out) crowd.

Forgive me my cheesy-ness, but it really did warm my heart to see so many of the people who participated in the making of "The Red-Headed Menace" in the crowd. Of course Regina was front and center, of course Michelle was late :) . Of the EIGHTEEN actors that had speaking parts in our little 8 minute short, nine of them were present, including Nicole Smith, who played the oldest of the three children in the movie. She looked excited and happy when she arrived, but after we won, I thought she was just going to burst! Other actors attending were Cheryl Scungio, David Thornhill, Jr. (who got more screen time than he bargained for, thanks to some funny improv he did with Megan Rippey), and my reluctant star/"Make-up Girl", Lisa Knoch. Also both of our stunt guys, Jeff Wilhelm and Mark Mosier and their wives were there, and they seemed very happy with the way the stunts came across on screen. They are already thinking about how we should kill/maim/ignite Mark for the next production. Many of my extras were in the crowd, such as Kelly Coston, Linda Gustafson (who snagged the primo spot I had slated for Kelly, but she arrived a few minutes after we were ready to shoot because she was coming directly from Philadelphia airport), Lois Tuttle, and Lois' fake date Gary Morin. Crew members Megan Reed, Fred Besche, Elizabeth Foks, and J.R. Maroney were there, and Craig Herron, who was not actually crew but an actor this time, but he also designed my logo for Steel Corset Productions that I got to use for the first time. Short story long, "The Red-Headed Menace" was well-represented.

As a bonus, dear old Mikey B (ONE OF my Executive Producers on "Smalltimore" - Hi Tom!) came down from New York for the big to-do, and we are heading to his cabin in a few hours for the weekend. I'll be taking my hard drive and laptop to do some more tweaking on the short before I turn a copy over to the Hampden Short Film Festival, so hopefully you will be able to see an even better version of it there on Saturday, September 12, and ALSO since we won first place, "The Red-Headed Menace" will screen again at the Creative Alliance on Monday, October 5, during the CAmm Salon/Cinelounge monthly event.

I want to tell you about how happy I was to win this award and how much it meant to me, but I can't quite figure out how to tell you without sounding obnoxious about it. I put a LOT of work into this short, and it was nice to be recognized for that, but everyone who made a short can say the same thing. "The Red-Headed Menace" really was a group effort, and though I was at the helm, it would not have been a fraction of what it was without the incredible (and extensive) cast and crew - almost FIFTY people! I was even happier for them than I was for myself, because everyone worked very hard, took direction well, and it was a long day of shooting, but everyone did everything I asked of them, above and beyond. When Dean announced us as the winner, it was the shouts and squeals and (Regina's) screams that put a smile on my face more than the actual win did. It was an electric moment and I truly enjoyed it.

Michelle supplied the Grand Prize of a weekend's gear rental, but she was not one of the judges, none of whom I had ever met, so it was an impartial panel. I was talking to one of the guys from Mob Television (they took Second Place) afterwards, and he told me they didn't mind Second Place because that was the prize they really wanted, 8 hours of special effects work provided by Craig Herron/Herron Designs. Mob Television's short, "Tiny," was hysterical and my favorite (besides ours), and I would not have felt bad if they would have won. They always come up with funny shorts and I knew they would likely be my stiffest competition. "Tiny" will also be screening at the CA on October 5th.

The Judith Rheiner Independent Spirit Honor is named after a friend and mentor of Michelle's. Judith is battling cancer and was not able to attend. I've heard some amazing stories about her and hope to be able to meet her someday, and I am very proud to have received the first award in her honor.

Everything about this competition and the production itself was a lot of fun, and it is hard to pinpoint what "the best part" is. It is very satisfying to be recognized, it is good for the resume, it was an incredible feeling of camaraderie to have so many of the cast and crew there, excited and cheering for us. It was encouraging to have people who worked on "Smalltimore" want to be a part of it, and now to have those same people plus all the new people that worked on "The Red-Headed Menace" asking and offering to be a part of whatever I come up with next. That means more to me than I can explain in words, it makes me feel like I am doing something right, and it is more flattering than any award could ever be.

Last summer when I was shooting, "Smalltimore," which overlapped my friend Eric Thornett's shooting of his own feature, I was sort of jealous because Eric has his own sort of semi-permanent crew/cast/entourage, that work pretty well as a team, people he can count on, who will line up just to work with him for nothing but the glory of it. I also saw that on a monthly basis when attending CAmmSalon/Cinelounge at the Creative Alliance, with Mob Television setting the example of what a tight and self-sacrificing group of creative friends and cohorts can come up with. I wanted that. I really wanted that. But I had no idea how to go about getting that.

I think that probably the best part of making "The Red-Headed Menace" is that I feel like I have that now, or at least the beginnings of it. I do have people now, both cast and crew, who know that they can count on me to do what I say I am going to do, and to pull together a production that they can be proud to be a part of. And they reflect that back to me and give me their best, and that hand-in-hand effort is what results in a great production.

And I think the single most important thing that has come out of this that it has cast in stone both my friendship and working relationship with Michelle. We really were like a well-oiled machine the day we shot, and I know it is just going to keep getting better. If "The Red-Headed Menace" had not won, it was my evil plan regardless to talk her into doing another short with me before the end of the year. Now that I won the gear package for a weekend, that will definitely be happening - just with a bit less arguing about it.

(Under) The Wire

[My good friend and very patient professional extra, "Pantsless" Pete Smak. Though you can see his back in "The Red-Headed Menace," I don't think he has actual face time, so I thought I'd give him some here!]

Yep, no doubt about it, still hate sound, and credits for that matter, though I am getting better at both of them. I left all of that until today, plus of course I had to burn the thing to a DVD, which takes some time (though burning a short is not nearly so excruciating as burning a feature!). The DVD finished burning at 5:43pm, about the time I jumped out of the shower, was in my car at 6:28pm, got a primo parking space on Thames street in Fells Point, ran into the Waterfront Hotel and handed in "The Red-Headed Menace" to the 29 Days Later Film Project with roughly 16 minutes to spare. You know that's how I roll.

It still, to my eyes and ears, needs some tweaking (which I will do before turning it over to the new Hampden Shorts Film Festival - mark your calendars for Saturday, September 12, especially if you can't make it to the Creative Alliance next Wednesday!), but overall I am pretty pleased with it, and the production values are outstanding, if I do say so myself.

I had forgotten to record some screams that take place, so Jeff Wilhelm and Mark Mosier saved my butt by recording them in an actual studio for me last night and sending me the WAV files. It is SO much better with the screams.

Michelle's all mad at me (in the joking way that we are always mad at each other) because we didn't have time to get together to tweak it and I didn't burn her a copy (mwah ha HA). She is actually IN the movie, and I want her to see it for the first time with an audience. She might be bringing her Mom to the screening, and she is keeping it a secret from her Mom that she is in it, so that should be fun. Michelle did really well, and somehow she was a good sport at the same time she was fighting me tooth and nail, she kept trying to weasel out of her lines and ENTIRE SCENES while we were shooting! Man, she drives me nuts sometimes. She kind of had us save most of her stuff for the end of the shoot (half-hoping I would let her out of it), which was fine with me because by then there would be less people on the set so hopefully she would be a little less nervous, and also because I knew she'd be tired by then and I'd be able to get her to do what I wanted so that I would let her go home. There's one little clip where she is carrying a camera, and two or three times she carried the damn thing right in front of her face while she was saying her lines. "CUT! The camera is in front of your face AGAIN. We're doing this until you get it right, so don't even THINK you are going to wear me down." I won. I always win.

For all her bitchin' she admitted it was a fun shoot and it went very smoothly. I feel that way, too, but if I write another script set in a fancy restaurant, someone please shoot me (and not with a camera) immediately.

I am very excited about the festival on Wednesday, I can't wait to see all the shorts of my competitors! Out of 15 teams we started off with, we ended up with 12 entries, so a 20% wash, which is pretty much what I had guesstimated to Dawn & Dean (the organizers) when we met to consult about the project. I would not have even been surprised at 30%, so 12 films is really fantastic!

This was my first short, and even though we had 29 days to make it, we really pulled it off in 18. I was having writer's block the first 10 days, even though I knew the general outline of the story, but I did not put pen to paper until July 20. Spent the next 5 days in a frenzy of pre-production, really only organizing cast and crew at that point, and there was probably 25-30 hours of work just dressing the set and preparing the meals for cast & crew (almost 50 people!) in advance. My feet were killing me well before I stepped onto the set to stand on them for another 13 hours (on Sunday, July 26).

I made the first pass at the edit that Wednesday, but didn't touch it again until 2 days ago. Then I got the video cut where I wanted it, and sent Jeff and Mark a semi-panicked email about the missing audio. While I was in jury duty (do NOT get me started) on Monday, I brought the file with everyone's signed releases (except Michelle's, refer back to, "Man, she drives me nuts sometimes"), and wrote out an organized list of the credits so (hopefully) I didn't miss anybody. I ALMOST forgot my own Mom, who spent many hours with me Saturday night, prepping the real food, the fake food (which was also real - frozen steaks leftover from our final day of production on "Smalltimore" last August - two of the extras ATE them!!!), and the flower arrangements.

I received the audio bits from Jeff last night, but had spent several hours on my neighbors' porch drinking wine, so I didn't touch them. I learned a long time ago not to edit or even WRITE after more than ONE drink. On the occasions that I have, it is always the same: I believe it is the most perfect thing I have ever created, and then the next morning I read it and ask myself, what the hell is this CRAP?! I HATE wasting my time (at least like that), so I don't do it anymore.

So that left me with today to correct all the audio (no small feat, audio is such a bitch, always), add the new audio and finesse that, and add the credits for the almost - say it with me - FIFTY people who worked on the movie.

I got it done. What I did not get done was a lot of work at my day job or cleaning my apartment or going to the store for dog food that I am out of - all of which needs to get done by 3pm tomorrow, as I am going out of town for the weekend.

But, in true Jeanie Clark Style, I shall further procrastinate and head next door with my laptop to show the movie to my friendly neighborhood Waiters in Tuxedos at the Prime Rib, because most of them (I had SIX in the film!) have to work next Wednesday so they can't come to the screening. I'm sure I'll have a drink or two while I am there also, but that's all right, because I have no problem doing laundry after a few belts. Makes it more bearable, really.

The Red-Headed Menace

[Director of Photography Michelle Farrell, at the Baltimore premiere of "Smalltimore"]

Well, I think I am in pretty good shape but I still have LOADS more work today before filming our short, "The Red-Headed Menace," this Sunday. A few tweaks to the script, and then the heavy lifting - dressing the set. I have to create a restaurant dining room, pretty much from scratch. And a POSH restaurant dining room at that. It's not a problem, I've spent years in the restaurant business, grew up in it actually. It's just a lot of work.

Then I have to break down the script, which is also a lot of work, even for just 8 pages. Because we are trying to film 8 pages in 6 hours, including a very cool stunt, everything has to be timed out pretty perfectly, plotted and planned for every shot, so we can just bam bam bam knock it out.

But wow, I think I have a really great cast and crew assembled. Michelle, of course, plus Li as Assistant Camera, with whom I worked on "Juju: The Witchdoctor Chronicles", and Fred Besche on sound, I am working with him on Steve Yeager's new project, "The Rosens". Also from "Juju," is Unique Dowtin, as Script Supervisor/Continuity, and Jeff Wilhelm and Mark Mosier, who are doing the stunt work.

I am excited to be working with someone new, Stephanie Refo, who I have assigned as my Assistant Director. More than anything, I am just excited to HAVE an Assistant Director. I didn't know enough at the time to have one on, "Smalltimore," and boy did that make my life a LOT harder than it had to be. Stephanie, along with Lois Tuttle, helped me to round up over a dozen extras before I knew it! Steph seems to be a natural at organizing people, and that is really the gist of being an Assistant Director.

Of course, my trusty sidekick Regina Guy is never out of the loop. She'll be pulling triple duty - helping Michelle load the gear, craft services (though I have a couple of assistants for her that should handle the bulk of it), AND she has a major role in the short itself! Regina has gained quite a bit of acting experience since we shot "Smalltimore" last summer, but this will be my first time directing her.

On the acting side of things, Cheryl Scungio and Johnny Benson return to my set. Can't wait to work with a couple of my, "Smalltimore," stars again! And from "The Rosens," I am borrowing Bobby DeAngelo, Megan Rippey, and David Thornhill, Jr. The gorgeous blonde and resident actress of The Strand Theater, Alex Hewett, is on board, and even Craig Herron of Herron Designs is taking a turn in a small role! Craig is also in the process of designing an ANIMATED logo for my Steel Corset Productions, which I am VERY excited about, and can't wait to show you as soon as it is finished.

I am even borrowing some gorgeous guys in tuxedos from The Prime Rib restaurant (as well as a few menus, for props). And my friend Lisa Knoch is stepping in on her day off from wedding work and the salon to be my Make-Up Artist.

And then there's Michelle... not only is Michelle going to be my DP once again, but she is trying her hand at ACTING for the very first time. Granted, she has been in front of the camera for countless hours while making her award-winning documentary, "Unraveling Michelle," but that was Michelle telling Michelle's story. Though she is playing herself in, "The Red-Headed Menace," acting is a lot different. I, too, am playing myself, and believe me it is going to be a challenge for us both. We were talking about it on the phone the other night, and despite being nervous, she is being a good sport about it. "You stress me, Jeanie!" she whined, but I could tell she was smiling when she said it. "But I heard you when you said, when you took Steve Yeager's [Acting for the Camera] class last fall, that you were pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. I've never done that [acting]. But I will. I'll do it."

I know we'll both be fine, though. In a lot of ways we are cut from the same cloth. I am not always the best party guest. If I don't know anyone at a party, I tend to crawl into my shell. But if it is my party, instinct takes over and the quintessential hostess in me knocks herself out making sure that everyone at my party is comfortable and having a good time. Being on my set is like being at my party (except I'm bossier on the set), so I know I will be fine because I will be setting an example. I don't have the luxury of getting nervous, because since I am also directing, there is no one there to talk me down but me! I had even considered asking Steve to co-direct with me, but I felt like that would be cheating a bit, as the 29 Days Later Film Project is supposed to be more for non-pros, but more so I did not ask him because this is a challenge, and I want to face it. I am really excited that Michelle and I are going to do this together, and proud of us both, too. I think this experience is not only going to make us both better at what we do, but it is going to strengthen both our business-related partnership and our friendship. It means a lot to me that she trusts me enough to put herself out on this limb, with me. Let's hope the bough doesn't break!

A Few More Days of Radio Silence

[Dingman's Falls, near Dingman's Ferry, PA]

Hey. I know, Bad Blogger. I have been both busy and goofing off. At first I was busy-busy, the last few days I have been goofing off-busy. I went up to Mikey's cabin in the Poconos with the intent of getting some writing done, but I convinced Bentley to come with me, so I accomplished nothing in the writing department, but did hit the trifecta of waterfalls on Route 209 (Bushkill, Raymondskill, and Dingman's Falls).

I am SUPPOSED to be writing and directing a short for the 29 Day Film Project, but am having a little trouble writing under pressure. Maybe it is not enough pressure, since it is not the last minute, but since I still have to cast, schedule, shoot, and edit it, I better get a move on. Deadline's August 6th for the finished project. Michelle is shooting for me, and I think I have the key players but will need more soon and when you are scheduling people who are workig for free, it can get rather nighmarish and you have to give yourself a lot of lead time. Sooo, I will not be blogging for at least a few more days, but when I start again, you will get to hear about the new project!

Mikey is working on getting me a graphic artist to design postcards and posters for Smalltimore so I will have marketing for the Indie Fest in California next month. We did not get into Red Rock or Rhode Island, rather bummed about that. I really wanted to go to Red Rock just for the super-cool venue, and Rhode Island was a long shot but I tried it anyway. Some women and comedy festivals have recently opened for submissions, so I sent a few more out. Now that the movie is very,very close to its final tweaks I feel much more confident in the DVDs I am sending out. I think the sound quality may have really hurt us for Red Rock and Rhode Island, but it is MUCH better now. I am pretty proud of the sound, actually, considering I did it all myself. Can't believe how far I have come from the first version!

Okay, really gotta get to work. Have a great weekend!

Sunrise, Sunset

[Dawn in Philly, as seen from room 2516 of the Loew's Hotel. You can see all of my Philly and U.K. pics on the "Smalltimore, the Movie" Facebook page - click the link in the right-side tool bar]

Philly already seems like a dream. How is it possible that I was there less than ten days ago?

I did have a great time and I REALLY want to go to that festival again, because I know next year will be even better. I have a few regrets, but they were mostly my fault. I wasn't organized enough before I hit the ground there, didn't have a plan as to what films I wanted to see and which filmmakers I wanted to try to meet, and I didn't have any marketing materials with me, which was a big mistake. Everywhere I went and everyone I met was pure randomness, if that is a word. Usually that works for me, and it was fine this time, but especially because the venues were a little scattered, I would have gotten more accomplished had I mapped things out a bit better. But then again, maybe not. Mikey and I had a really tight but reasonable schedule worked out one day, but the evening before we met some filmmakers whose movie we had not planned to see, and they talked us into it ("Sex. Drugs. Guns."). So we changed our schedule and then in the middle of the next day, we met the filmmaker, O'Shea Read, whose film ("Shipping and Receiving", a short) we had switched out to see the other one! He was very nice and happened to have a DVD of it with him and gave it to us, so in the end it did work out fine.

For that one, anyway. Another movie I wanted to see was Adam Bronstein's, "My Movie Girl." I met Adam at the Opening Night Party. I think he is the first guy I have met that made a feature-length romantic comedy. The plot sounded intriguing, and hysterical, and Mikey wanted to see it also. We blocked it out and showed up at the venue on time, to find out it hand been switched to another time slot (in fairness to the festival, that was at Adam's request). I ran into Adam later and found out that it was rescheduled at 10:00am on Sunday. As much as I wanted to see that movie, that just was not going to happen.

But Adam, and O'Shea (though they have not met), both live in L.A. and said they would try to come to my "Smalltimore" screening next month, so it is all good!

Another filmmaker I met on the first night was Philip Maglieri ("The Alley" - short doc). As it turns out, his film was screening at the same exact time as mine, the venues rather far apart. That was the one I was most disappointed not to see. When Philip and I started talking at the party the first night, I asked him if it was his first festival. He said no, he had just been to one in England. I smiled, as I kind of figured what was coming next. Turns out, "The Alley," screened at Swansea Bay Film Festival in southern England, just a week or so before I was in Tamworth for the Heart of England Film Festival. The two festivals are related and had a lot of cross-over movies. In fact, Nick Hudson, the Director of the HOEFF, had met Philip at Swansea Bay and invited him to screen, "The Alley," in Tamworth. Philip was tempted to come up, but didn't, though Nick still screened the film (I didn't see it). But Philip had met in Swansea some of the same people I made friends with in Tamworth, such as Kent Wall ("Shotgun Jesus") and Vagabond ("Machetero"). It was a very Smalltimore moment. Also, Philip lives in Toronto, where dear old Bentley resides (when he isn't here, which he is now, cuz he just called me).

I did manage to see Jesse Bernstein's short, "Us One Night," since it screened right after mine in the same venue. He is using it as sort of a pre-trailer, he wants to make a feature out of it. It was funny, I hope he does! Met some other cool cats, you can check the pics on Facebook.

I have to admit that though I am trying to concentrate and give you the skinny on Philadelphia, my mind is elsewhere. I am getting (a little too) excited about Indie Fest in California next month. I'll explain in a minute.

During one of my conversations with Philip, I told him that I may be losing my job, and therefore my residence, by the end of the year. He asked me, "Are you worried? Are you a worrier?" I said, "Not really. My life always seems to work out the way it should." And it does, though I think part of that is me not fighting battles for the sake of fighting them, but rather making lemonade when presented with the ingredients. Another case in point is the succession of these festivals. I had a great time in Tamworth, and have been in touch with a few of the filmmakers I met there since I got back. But the audiences were negligible. I was in a fairly good schmoozing mode, though, because I am used to traveling abroad by myself, and I didn't have to deal with big crowds. I know it is ridiculous that I am more at ease in a foreign country than in Philadelphia, but that's just how I am.

Philly was a sizable but not insurmountable step up from Tamworth. Only in its second year, they have some bugs to work out, but it was much larger and much better attended, and the filmmakers had a destination meeting point every evening. I had not psyched myself up to schmooze, though, and I watched others work the room like nobody's business. I hated myself for it, but Mikey was there, and I used him as a crutch. That's my fault, I know better. But I was a little overwhelmed , I guess. It made me determined to make sure that doesn't happen again.

And now comes Anaheim, California. West Coast, baby. Funny thing? Heart of England was its First Annual, Philly Independent was its Second Annual, Indie Fest is its Third Annual. I tried not to get too excited about Indie Fest, because there are SO many fests in California, and this one is rather young. HOEFF, I think, accepted the majority of films that were submitted (don't get me wrong, I saw some great stuff there, but I think percentage-wise, that is the case). Steve, the director at the PIFF (Philly), told me that they had about 400 submissions (including shorts) and accepted about half of them. That gave me a little extra confidence, but still, I guess you could say I had a 50-50 chance of getting in, which is a lot better than most fests. Mine was one of about 65 feature-length, though they seemed to be heavy on the documentaries.

Before I go to a fest, I pick it apart so I can know what to expect and avoid disappointment. How many years has it been running, how organized is the communication, I research the venues, I consider the screening times... Some people that I met in Tamworth and Philly were disappointed in some things, but I managed to avoid that because I didn't have any delusions, and I enjoyed the festivals for what they were.

However... Having gone through the schedule of Indie Fest, out of their 140 selected films, only about 38 of them are feature-length, 8 of those are listed as documentaries, 4 as comedies (including "Smalltimore), and the rest (of those 38) are listed simply as features. Especially considering that "Smalltimore" has the final time slot (coinciding with two other non-comedy feature screenings), and the screening venue is the AMC Disney... I'm starting to feel pretty good about this one. Which means I have to start psyching myself up IMMEDIATELY. So I'll talk at cha later.

Four Days In Philly

[Executive Producer Michael Bordenick a.k.a. Mikey B., gesturing towards some Historic Stuff in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia]

Just got back last night and need to wrap my mind around some (day job) work issues as well as burning a bunch of DVDs to send in for some last-minute deadlines (you know that's how I roll), so I am not going to make this a very long entry. I'll do that soon, though. Bottom line is, Philly was great, fun town, GREAT people (those who live there as well as those visiting for the fest), horrible, horrible pizza.

This is no joke. I think Philly has an inferiority complex about NYC in the same way Baltimore has the same in regards to D.C. This is the only theory I can come up with to explain why the pizza is so very bad. I figure that Philly wants to set itself apart, so at some point the city as a whole decided, if New York is known for its pizza, we can't do it the way that they do it, we have to make it completely opposite! Unfortunately for Philly, NY makes their pizza very GOOD. So the opposite of that would be... well, you get the point. Opt for the Philly cheese steak. Even chain restaurants there do it well.

I'll get more into it later, but as a whole I was very happy with the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, and it was far better than I expected a fest in only its second year to be. Several bugs to work out, but that's how it goes, and you have to have reasonable expectations at these things. My objectivity may be slightly clouded by the presence of many good-looking male filmmakers (several of whom you can check out in my photos from the fest on the Facebook page, "Smalltimore, the Movie" - click on the link on the right). But - men being my favorite vice and all - who's complaining?

Press Release for Philly

I know I've already shown you the laurel, but it's so pretty, isn't it? Leaving tomorrow, no time to write anything else, so thought I'd share:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"SMALLTIMORE," a new romantic comedy by first-time filmmaker Jeanie M. Clark, will screen at 7:40p.m. on Saturday, June 27, at Yards Brewery, 901 N. Delaware Avenue, as part of the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival.

Tagline: Baltimore may not be known as an artists' haven to outsiders, but the people who live here know that the pertinent question is not, "What do you do?" but rather, "What ELSE do you do?" Struggling art gallery owner Gracie finds herself in a romantic dilemma when she forgets the Golden Rule of Charm City, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

"I am ecstatic that SMALLTIMORE's first domestic festival will be in Philadelphia," says Writer/Director Jeanie Clark. "Philadelphia and Baltimore have a lot of similarities, and I am certain the humor will translate flawlessly from one city to another. Plus, I am a Pennsylvania native, so I am personally glad to be here."

SMALLTIMORE serves as Ms. Clark's love letter to her adopted hometown of Baltimore. Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Ms. Clark has lived in Baltimore city for more than a decade. It was here that she discovered a strong creative community that was both tight-knit and inviting, after a fashion. "I did have to prove myself," she says. "I knew no one when I moved to Baltimore, and coming from 10 years living in Washington, D.C., people here [in Baltimore] were suspect that I was not so much an artist as a wannabe."

Baltimore has proven to be a desirable location for both film and television, but has suffered from an identity crisis for years. If you haven't visited the city, you may only know of it from crime dramas such as, "The Wire," "Homicide," or, "The Corner." Of course, Hollywood heavyweights such as Barry Levinson and John Waters repeatedly return to Baltimore to make their (respectively) nostalgic and quirky films. "John Waters' films are a lot closer to reality than people think they are," Clark says. "People here really are that weird, and that is one of the many things I love about this town. But still, this isn't an entirely accurate representation of my Baltimore, the Baltimore I see every day. I haven't seen a movie that really portrays that Baltimore."

"The majority of my friends in Baltimore are artists: painters, sculptors, poets, musicians, writers, and filmmakers," Ms. Clark explains, "but we all have day jobs." Indeed, "SMALLTIMORE," showcases a dozen local visual artists' work, and the soundtrack is comprised of a whopping 37 original songs by 11 Baltimore artists. This includes triple-threat and nationally renowned artist Joyce J. Scott, who stars as the eccentric wealthy widow Mrs. Talford, displaying several of her own paintings, and singing three of her own songs on the track. Native Baltimorean T.T.Tucker and his Bum Rush Band also play themselves in the film, and contribute 8 songs to the soundtrack. Even ceramic sculptor Caren Shelley and jewelry artist Wayne Werner made commissioned pieces for the film.

There is a lot more to "SMALLTIMORE," than what meets the eye, or ear, however. "People ask me what made me decide to make this movie," Ms. Clark says. "And the bottom line is, I was tired of seeing horrible movies, especially romantic comedies. People like what they can relate to. Getting knocked on the head or drinking a potion that gives you supernatural powers might be entertaining, but it is not going to happen to you. And your jackass of a boyfriend is not going to turn into Prince Charming, either."

The diverse ensemble cast and overlapping story lines reveal even more sides of Baltimore. In this small town masquerading as a big city, the social circles are small - and they all cross-pollinate. No one bats an eye at the gay or inter-racial relationships, let alone a delusional cross-dresser. "I had to do some work to woo Joyce Scott, who is African-American, onto the project, mostly due to her own busy schedule," Ms. Clark says. "She liked the script, but after reading the whole thing, she had some concerns. Her character's personal assistant is Italian-American. Joyce said to me, not asking me to change the script but just wanting to make sure I was aware of this, that 'traditionally speaking', black people and Italians have not always gotten along so well. I really wanted Joyce for the project, and I did give what she said a lot of thought, because I wanted everything about the story to ring true, and I didn't want her to feel it was a stretch." Soon after, Ms. Scott signed on to the project, with no changes to the character of her assistant, Tony. "I knew what she was saying, but she knew what I was saying: I understand that is how it is, in a lot of places. But it just isn't that way in my Baltimore. Those aren't my friends. My friends don't give a flying rat's ass about that kind of stuff. And I know that Joyce doesn't either." Sure enough, once on the set, Joyce and Orlando Gonzalez, who plays the character of Tony, got along famously. Their chemistry onscreen is a direct reflection of their true personal chemistry. "It got to the point that I was afraid to leave them alone in a room together," Clark says. "I'd come back and within five minutes they would have come up with some ridiculously funny and COMPLETELY un-PC comedy sketch - entirely instigated by Joyce."

Romantic comedies can be a hard-sell at festivals. SMALLTIMORE's first festival was earlier this month in the Heart of England International Film Festival in the United Kingdom. "By the time the film screened on the third day, I was more than ready for a laugh," says Clark. "So many filmmakers, and festival programmers, think that if it is funny it can't be good, it can't be art. That is absolutely untrue."

SMALLTIMORE has also been accepted to Indie Fest in Anaheim, CA, in late August. In addition to Ms. Clark (who not only wrote and directed, but also produced and edited the film), Director of Photography Michelle Farrell ("Unraveling Michelle", which screened at Firstglance Festival 2008), Executive Producer Michael Bordenick, and leading actor Cheryl Scungio will be in attendance for the screening on Saturday. Ms. Scungio also starred in, "Public Interest," which screened at the first Philadelphia Independent Film Festival in 2008, and took home the award for Best New Director.

More info:
On Facebook: Smalltimore, the Movie
Trailers available on YouTube and www.smalltimorethemovie.blogspot.com

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

And I'll breathe in mid-July. Maybe.

Got home about 8:30pm Tuesday night. Took my neighbors who dog-sat for me out to dinner an hour later. Worked all day Wednesday, plus had fellow filmmaker Brian Morrison ("One Down") help me figure out some compression and burn (making a DVD of the movie) problems, and took him across the street to meet my friend Phil ("Mrs. Simpson" in Smalltimore). Brian is renting Philip's fabulous Corvette convertible for a music video he is shooting this weekend for Lazerbitch (who is on the Smalltimore soundtrack - click their link on the right to check them out!).

Wednesday night went to The Charles to see Steve Yeager's premiere of, "Crystal Fog." I knew Steve had won an award at Sundance for his documentary on John Waters ("Divine Trash"), but I learned something I didn't know from the woman who introduced him: Steve is still Maryland's only award winner at Sundance. Of course, Eric Thornett won an award at Slamdance, and Michelle is winning awards left and right, so I am always in good company!

"Crystal Fog," was great. I wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be a very sweet and well-told story. Was NOT expecting the sweet part. Which is great, I HATE going into a movie and knowing everything that happens before it even begins.

It is the story of a drag queen (Crystal Fog) and an allegedly straight man who falls for her. The story is loosely based on a true relationship that happened to Steve's brother. I am always impressed when someone can write for a character that is very different from themselves and have the dialogue be believable, like men writing for women, crossing ethnic lines, an older person writing for a younger character, or a straight man writing for a drag queen. Steve did an amazing job, and it is an impressive tribute to his brother.

The after-party at Nick's Fish House (which was featured prominently in the film) was a great time. I ran into several of the actors and the DP that I have worked with on Steve's new feature (currently in production), "The Rosens". I spotted (actor) Johnny Alonso there near the end, but didn't have a chance to say hello. He has been in so many Baltimore productions, and mostly works in California now. I don't know him really, but met him briefly last year on the set of "Good People," which was the second time I had met Michelle but the first time I had seen her in action on a set.

Yesterday more work at the Day Job, then dropped by the Creative Alliance to pick up some DVD screeners from Kristen to review before our Members Committee meeting on Tuesday. A small panel of film-related people watch films that are in consideration for the next cycle of events. It's fun, I think, and always nice to have your opinion asked.

Today I have dreaded paperwork for the Day Job (god, I HATE paperwork! This is why I have never held a 9 to 5 job), and email/Facebook blasting about the Philly fest, and have to send some materials out to them and also try to get together a press release. That is SORT OF paperwork, but more of a creative kind and it can be emailed, so no real paper is involved and I don't mind it so much.

Tomorrow I have a small walk-on part for the Lazerbitch music video, and am going to try to catch The Degenerettes (also on my soundtrack - also click their link on the right) play a set at 8:25pm at the Pride festival stage on Eager Street (in front of the Hippo). And I know there are at least three other things I have to do tomorrow that I am forgetting about. Sunday is the second installment of my neighborhood yard sale:

Monthly Mother of All Yard Sales!
1 0 Households!
Sunday, June 21, 9:00am-2:00pm
Rear parking lot, 1125 North Calvert Street

Jewelry - glassware - antiques - oddities -
books - clothes - appliances - furniture -
decor items - dolls - kitchenware

Spread the word!!!


And then it's Monday again already? Argh!

Winding Down

Good lord. This is why it is good to travel alone. This morning I got up at a reasonable hour and was packed and ready to leave Tamworth at 10:30a.m. The train I originally planned to take was at 12:42p.m., but since I was moving, I figured there had to be one a little earlier, right? Not really. There was one at noon, so I still had an hour and a half to kill. So, after walking 1/2 mile to the train station to find this out, and there being no place at the train station to store my bags (by the way, can't blame Bin Laden for that. The IRA was blowing up things in London long before him, which is also why trash cans are very difficult to find in train stations), I had to walk halfway back into town to get a soda and sandwich, then afterwards back again.

When I did return, I found that I was on the same train and changing at Birmingham with Amir, one of the other filmmakers in the festival. He was the one who told me he'd watch my movie even though it would not be his cup of tea. Which, incidentally, he did not. He sat through about 15 minutes before walking out. I have since forgiven him but will admit I was annoyed at the time. I know it is my first festival, but still, there is a sort of etiquette between filmmakers, and once you establish some sort of rapport it is unspoken that you expect, want, and reciprocate support, i.e., watch each others movies.

But, we had a nice chat while traveling to Birmingham, and I know he did not have any malicious intent. I had to walk out of a couple films myself, though that was due to some very graphic footage. I remember images and I can't watch certain things that I find disturbing. I know seeing my neighbor Philip in a dress is somewhat disturbing; perhaps it was just too much for Amir to take.

Last night was the screening of "Radio Cape Cod," by American Andrew Silver. It was a sweet little love story, and a nice event. They served small sandwiches, satay skewers, and canapes during the meet & greet beforehand, so that was dinner. But other than Andrew, I was the only filmmaker still in town (except Amir, who did not attend), so it was a little lonely. I did talk quite a bit with John Welles, a councilman and former Mayor of Tamworth, who I met the first night at the castle, and his wife and son David as well. Really nice people, as was everyone in town, and as I said to John after the movie last night, I need to make another movie so I can come back!

It was a long day of travel today. To get to Matthew's I had to take five different trains, and very few of the stations I had to transfer at had escalators, so I had to drag my big case up and down the steps myself. In these situations, some man almost always grabs it from me without even asking and does it for me, but not today. It is Sunday so no one seemed in much of a hurry and the trains were less crowded, so maybe when they help me like that it is just to get me out of the way from holding up traffic.

I am looking forward to having dinner with Matthew tonight and catching up. He hasn't been over to Baltimore in quite awhile. Since New Year's, I think? Then tomorrow with Jim & Deb. This is just about the time that I really start missing my dogs and home, so it will be nice to spend it with friends.

The Heart of England Film Festival was a terrific experience, and I think a very suitable "starter" festival for me. I truly think that the networking I was able to do with other filmmakers will prove to be to my advantage down the line. I am going to try to help Amir with some casting for his next project; Ronnie said he'd DP for me if I made a short, and the wheels in my head are already spinning on that; if I ever make a documentary I would certainly consult with Indira, and she said if she ever made a feature she would consult with me; I really want Vagabond to meet Al Letson at some point, I think they would hit it off and creative sparks would fly; plus Vagabond and Maya both live in NYC, so hopefully I will see them again soon. Plus so many other great people I met... never know, might run into them again at another festival soon (knock on wood!).

Many of us being Americans, and traveling alone, I think added to the intensity a bit, and how well we hit it off. It starts off being a little lonely, and a little scary. So I think when you meet other people who are in the same circumstance, there is a moment that each is sort of thinking of the other, "Please don't be a jackass, so I have someone to hang out with," and in most cases they are not a jackass, and then the fun begins!

A Dog's Life

Two dogs, really. Timmy and Max, my yorkies. I had a medical emergency with both of them last night that I really don't want to go into. The important thing is that they are fine, though I am still rather traumatized, and only hours before I get on a plane to be away from them for 10 days. Luckily they will be in very good hands with their "Uncles" Phil and Ron. If I didn't have such good friends to leave them , with, I probably would be canceling my whole trip right now.

As it stands, I had to cancel my Pre-Production for Independent Films class at the Creative Alliance at the 11th hour. That was supposed to be today. I do feel terrible about that, and hope to make it up to the people who enrolled. But I am sure any of them who has had a pet with a near-death experience will understand.

So last night was a complete wash and now I am behind schedule again, haven't even packed, though for me, as you know by now, that is par for the course. I have so much to do today, I'd better get moving in a minute. But just wanted to throw a quick post on here before I leave for 10 days, as I am not sure how much internet access I will have over there.

The dog in the photo above is not one of mine (the dog is not mine, the photo is), but this is one of my favorite photos that I have ever taken. This dog's "name" was George (we dubbed him this, as in, "I will love him and squeeze him and call him George", old-school Warner Brothers cartoon reference ). He was a stray that a friend of mine found near Patterson Park. He was a mutt with a very cool personality and hypnotic golden eyes. He didn't seem stressed or freaked out about anything. It was summertime and none of us had much to do, and George fit right in. I practically expected him to make a suggestion as we discussed where to go get a cold beer and sit outside. We were in another friend's convertible driving in Highlandtown near the park when I took this with a fish eye lens. I was in the front passenger seat, George was in the back seat with the friend who found him. A few days later, George got loose and ran away and we never saw him again. But, he was one of those dogs that you just know will be fine. That was at least 5 years ago, and I still smile whenever I look at this photo and I remember everything about this little guy. He seemed like the canine equivalent of a happy wanderer. He just drifted into our lives for a few days, hung out and had a few adventures, and then hit the road, undoubtedly on to the next adoptive group for more good times. I'll try to take a page from George's book as I spend a week in Tamworth.

Heart Attack Averted

Good lord... went to make some changes to the movie yesterday, and I COULDN"T FIND THE FILE. Somehow I had accidentally moved the master file to the TRASH! Thank goodness I hadn't emptied it! I think I was trying to get rid of old versions that were taking up a lot of space but I knew I wouldn't use again. Seriously, I was almost in tears, because the only full version I had left was the latest DVD version, which is somehow all squished because I must have done something wrong when rendering and burning it to DVD. I am still having palpitations just re-living the moment. Ack.

I am about 1/3 of the way through the movie, making some tiny changes here and there, tightening up a few pauses and even cutting down a few more lines. Anyone who has seen the movie will probably be happy to know that I have cut the Golden Twat line from the sushi scene. I still think it was funny, but nobody else seemed to, and I'll admit it makes the scene more palatable to a wider audience. I also swapped some things around in the first few scenes to step up the pace. There is more I would have liked to cut, but since I did not do a great job during production of making sure I had enough cutaways (little snippets to cut to, a hand on a bottle of beer, a close-up of someone's wrist as they look at their watch, etc), to cut the lines I wanted to cut would screw up continuity, which I have worked VERY hard to make as perfect as possible. Also I now open directly with the first scene, THEN to the opening credits with the song "Bohemia" by Niki Lee. That is something Eric suggested a long time ago, and it definitely works better, plus then people are paying attention by then instead of talking through the credits, and I think the song is very pertinent to the movie, which is more obvious after you watch the first scene.

I am so excited to be heading to England on Saturday, though I really have no idea what to expect. I have booked my reservations in a sweet little B & B called The Peel Hotel, which apparently is anywhere from one to ten minutes walking to anyplace in town I would possibly need to be. Rest assured I will be making mental and physical notes throughout the trip, as I have the feeling that the entire experience has "screenplay" written all over it. When I made my reservations at the hotel for an entire week, the kind lady I spoke to told me that after I had seen the sights in town, that it would be easy to take a train to Birmingham, a larger city, and from there I can go to anywhere in England quite easily. The way she said it was almost as if she had said "after you have seen the sights in town - which should take all of about five minutes..."

Though it may happen, I have no intention of leaving Tamworth that week. As stated, my goal the first few days is to meet as many people as possible and invite them to the screening. I also intend to get some writing done, and RELAX. I do my best writing and relaxing when I am VERY far away from home and have absolutely no daily responsibilities and limited internet access. Plus, though the pound is a lot weaker against the dollar than it has been in recent years, it is still not in my favor, and I see no point in wasting valuable pub money on train travel.

I am also so psyched about going to Philly later this month! I was starting to panic that "Smalltimore" would not get into any domestic festivals, though I have only been turned down by a few so far, and those were mostly long shots. There are some other festivals I will be hearing back from soon that I think the film is more suited to, so fingers crossed. I'd really like at least one more, so when the time comes to package the DVD I can have at least three lovely laurels to display on the cover!

Re-Gifting

Happy Birthday to me! It is midnight, the clock just turned to May 31st, and I am mumblemumble years old! I just got home a few minutes ago from hanging out with Eric in his neck of the woods, for what could be called a mutual birthday dinner, as he is a fellow Gemini, but what was basically just hanging out because we hadn't seen each other in awhile. I have done a complete turnaround from last night's rotten mood, which you don't know about because I was in too rotten of a mood to write, but trust me. Before I went to bed last night, I happened to check my horoscope online (Susan Miller is the best), and it said that come morning, Mercury would go direct (no longer be in retrograde). Now, I don't know exactly what "retrograde" means, as far as the physical sense of what happens to my ruling planet of Mercury, and just maybe after I finish writing this post I will Google it and tell you later (though of course if you are reading this, you either do know what it means or are probably Googling it yourself right now, so I may not bother). But what I DO know is that when Mercury is in retrograde, it not only screws things up for those signs like Gemini who are ruled by that planet, but for EVERYONE.

And Mercury has been in retrograde all month! So, if you have been in a bad mood, gained weight, lost a job, missed your flight, had a fight with your partner, kicked your cat, or gotten a speeding ticket - not your fault! Mercury was in retrograde!

But, finally, no mas! I'm in a good mood, all is right with the world, everything is coming up roses, and I can prove it! I had a VERY nice gift in my inbox when I got home (and NO, that is not a euphemism! Minds out of the gutter, please), and I am about to share it with you, and as you are such faithful readers, I am telling you FIRST. I am not calling Eric or Michelle or emailing all my actors, I am putting it out to you, right here, right now, right after I received this gift myself, I give it to you (and if those people love me anyway, they should have this blog wired somehow that a deafening alarm goes off on their cell phone every time I post something here):

"Smalltimore," has been accepted to the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival!

I can't tell you how excited I am about this! Best birthday weekend, and it has barely begun! Today I received a gorgeous floral arrangement from dear Mikey B., a box with gifts from my Mom, all from her recent trip to Russia, which included a fridge magnet, a bar of dark Russian chocolate, a silver ring, and best of all, a jar of real Russian caviar, of which I just indulged a celebrational spoonful! Plus got to hang out with Eric all evening, and tomorrow I am going to Charles Town Race Track with half a dozen friends for the Third Annual Duchess Stakes, a.k.a. Jeanie's (a.k.a. the Duchess of Mount Vernon) birthday, and have been promised several compilation CDs (my favorite birthday gift from my friends)!

AND my movie has been accepted at its second film festival!

Seriously, I need a moment (fans face with hands). And maybe another spoonful of caviar.

What is super-great about this, I hope, is that Philly is close enough that some of my cast, crew, friends, family, and fans can come to Philly and see "Smalltimore" in a festival atmosphere. I am leaving on Saturday for England, to go to our first fest, The Heart of England Festival, but unfortunately no one from the production could join me due to schedule and/or the expense. My friends Matthew and Jim are coming to Tamworth from London to see it with me, though, and I am looking forward to that.

But now I also get to look forward to seeing the film and having other people from the production (fingers crossed, I hope many of you will attend!) at a fun event that makes them feel like their efforts are appreciated by people other than me and our hometown fans.

There is something very special about having strangers approve of your creative work. Certain things in life you can only know if you experience them. There are some incredible, wonderful, exhilarating experiences that I will likely never have, and I know that no matter how much someone describes them to me, I won't get it - the birth a child, jumping out of an airplane, driving a race car 200+ miles an hour, winning the lottery... I can try to imagine it, but you just have to experience it. That doesn't make me jealous, I don't feel like I am missing out on anything, because those are things that, well, if you haven't done them then you don't know what you're missing so in effect you're not really missing out, in my opinion.

But, as an artist, I can tell you, if you are not an artist you will never know the joy of having a stranger "get it". It is wonderful to have your friends and family, all the people who love you, support you and tell you that you are wonderful and talented, and of course that counts for a whole lot. However, even if they are right, they are biased. They just are. But to have someone that you don't know from Adam tell you that whatever you created made them laugh, cry, or it somehow move them... feel it once, and you will live for those moments.

When I had my first B&W photography exhibit, my Dad wanted to be able to boast that he bought my first piece ever. He lived in Florida so he couldn't come to the show, so he had me pick out something that I thought would suit him. I chose an image of a stray black dog standing alone on a cobbled street in Pompeii, looking back at me over his shoulder. Something about his sad eyes, close to me in proximity but isolated, on some plane a world away, reminded me of my Father. It meant a lot to me that Daddy bought that picture. Over the phone I told him what the show price was and then told him the "family discount". He mailed me a check for the entire listed amount.

That was a special moment in my life, just like when my Mother more recently mailed me an unsolicited check to contribute towards the making of "Smalltimore". Those are things you never forget. But also are the moments you are totally unprepared for, like the first time a stranger bought a photograph of mine. Or the time that an artist, a good artist but someone I had never met before, bought a painting of mine, told me he loved it, had to have it. Within that exhibit I thought it was the worst of the bunch and was afraid it would out me as an imposter. Honestly, I don't even consider myself a painter. I couldn't believe it. I felt guilty taking his money, like I almost wanted to say, when you get home and realize it is a piece of crap, you can bring it to me for your money back. But I didn't say that, and I never saw the guy again.

I think most artists feel that way at first, and most artists have their first "stranger" sales burned into their brains. It makes you feel legit. At the "Smalltimore" premiere on May 3, in addition to all the love and energy that was created in that room by the people who know me and know how much I have put in and continue to put in to this production, I also got a charge and very much fed off of the good vibes I received from all the unfamiliar faces, many of whom approached me after the screening with warm, genuine smiles and handshakes.

So now I sally forth to Jolly Old England, not sure of what awaits me there. Will they get it? Will the American humor translate? I am excited, but also nervous. My game plan is that I arrive in Tamworth on Sunday, June 7th. This gives me three full days and nights to drink with as many locals as possible and bribe them to come to the screening. Marketing is a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. And since I will be the only Smalltimore rep there, I am the only one to do it!

I am so glad that the first (of many, knock on wood) domestic festival that "Smalltimore" will be screening in is in Philadelphia. I haven't spent a lot of time in Philly, but when I have been there, it seems to me to be a mash-up of both the best and worst parts of Pittsburgh and Baltimore. An observation, not a judgement. I like Philly, what I have seen of it. I am comfortable there and have always wanted to spend more time there, and now I have a chance to. That being said is simply a lengthy way of saying that, in addition to its geographical proximity to Baltimore, I think the mindset of people there is also similar, and I think (hope, pray) that a Philadelphia audience will "get it".

But I am fully prepared to get there early and drink with the locals in order to hedge my bets.


The Philadelphia Independent Film Festival is the weekend of June 25-28. Mark your calendars!

Confusions of Grandeur

The Bentleys: Keith Bentley and Johnny Benson, who plays Keith Bentley - photo by Richard Payne at the "Smalltimore" premiere]

9 movies in 3 days at the Maryland Film Festival... I am about cinema'd out. Saw a couple flicks I REALLY enjoyed: "Stingray Sam," I think was my favorite, but "The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle," was also very good and absolutely hysterical. Since that one started 25 minutes late, I missed the first 25 minutes of "The Overbrook Brothers," but I went in anyway and I liked that one also.

I saw two documentaries, "Invisible Girlfriend," and "Rocaterrania." There were a few things about both of them that bugged me, but I thought they were both very good as well. I don't know if I would ever be interested in making a documentary. I think it would be a very difficult undertaking, and most documentaries, if you think about it, are about subjects that are somewhat sad, or politically controversial, or both. Those are exactly the sort of things that put a beat-down on my spirit. It takes so much blood, sweat, and tears to make any sort of movie. I don't know if I could (or would want to) put myself through an emotional wringer while trying to do that. I am too empathetic to people with problems, I don't know if I could make an objective production in those circumstances.

What else did I see... "Daytime Drinking," was good, but a bit too long, and I enjoyed, "Modern Love is Automatic," the closest thing the MFF had to a local production. I saw the John Waters' pick, "Love Songs," which was just okay in my opinion, and not nearly as good as "Sleeping Dogs Lie" two years ago (available at Video Americaine - RENT IT).

"Somers Town," was good. "Lightning Salad Motion Picture," not so much. I was really psyched to see this one, it sounded very "Kids in the Hall", and the creators of it were there and said a few words beforehand and they were cute and funny and energetic and I really WANTED to like this movie. I sat through the first half hour, laughed a few times but not nearly as many times as I think I was supposed to. I know I still have some sound issues to take care of in "Smalltimore," but the sound issues with "Lightning Salad" were beyond forgiveness. As the movie began painfully corkscrewing towards a major crash and burn, I kept trying to hang in there, but finally told myself, if I don't laugh in the next five minutes, I'm outta here. I don't know if I have ever walked out of a movie before, but five minutes later, that's what I did. I felt bad because those guys were in the audience, but it was seriously more than I could take. Maybe it is one of those movies that you need to be high for.

It was a good example, however, of a universal truth I am learning the hard way: when it comes to festivals, being weird is FAR more important than being good. I like seeing weird movies, but they have to be GOOD weird movies. OR I have to be very, very drunk.

Another thing that bugged me is that so many movies "Modern Love...", "Somers Town," "Invisible Girlfriend," seemed to put little to no thought into the ending of the film, they just sort of trail off... I don't think that is "artsy" any longer. I think it is played out. An ending to a movie doesn't have to be happy to be satisfactory. Make me laugh, make me cry, make me think, or leave me with a great big cliffhanger that makes me go, "GAH!!!", but make me feel SOMETHING.

Anyway... all in all, I had a good time at the MFF, and I saw 9 1/3 movies for $50 (I am a Friend of the Festival, so I got into any movies before 6:00pm on Friday for free), so you can't beat that. But it also showed me the difference between movies made for festivals and movies made for widespread distribution. I mean, I sort of knew that before, and Eric talks a lot about it, as he made a movie ("23 Hours") specifically for festivals, and did very well with it, including at Slamdance. But this was the first film festival I have attended since MAKING a movie. So it really brought it home.

Bleah. It's kind of confusing. It's like, what are your choices? Make a weird movie and have a better chance of getting into a film festival but little chance of getting real theater distribution. Make a normal, even watered-down movie that tries to please everyone and spend the majority of your budget to hire an A- or B-list actor so it has a chance at distribution. Or make a good movie with no major actors and have little chance of getting into festivals or widespread distribution!

Don't get me wrong. I'm proud of "Smalltimore," and given the chance, I don't think I'd do much differently. I'm still all over it and I think good things lie ahead. It just makes me think about what I want to do next.

Afterglow/Aftermath

[Sold-out crowd at The Wind-Up Space for Smalltimore Premiere - photo by Richard Payne]

Breathing is... nice! And so very foreign to me these days. Monday morning, post-premiere, was not all that rough though I did sleep in until it was time to go to lunch with my friend Shawn (a.k.a. prom date). When he hit the road, I had only a couple hours before going to the CAmm Salon/Cinelounge at the Creative Alliance. If you are a filmmaker, actor, musician, crew member, anyone involved whatsoever (or wants to be) in the filmmaking community of Baltimore, you really need to start going to this. It happens the first Monday of the month, and it is a great way to network and to keep your finger on the pulse of what is going on in the community, plus you get to see several shorts, and who doesn't love shorts!

Yesterday, Tuesday, I finally just BREATHED DEEP. Wrote a few quick emails, avoided the phone, and watched about 6 episodes of Law & Order, and also two episodes online of Rescue Me that I had missed while I was in Seattle. Damn, I love that show.

It was nice, just to chill, not to be on a crushing deadline or feeling guilty because I don't have time to hang out with friends. Just take a day to myself. Today will be a bit more of that, but have to do some real work at my day job, too. I'd like to keep that for awhile longer!

Last night I spent some time seriously slogging through the Film Guide on the website of the Maryland Film Festival, which kicks off tonight. I have to admit, they have some really interesting flicks in there and I am looking forward to seeing several of them. Still stings a bit that I wasn't invited in, but I am pretty well over it, especially considering that I met my goal of being able to cover my flight to London for The Heart of England Film Festival with my take at the door of the "Smalltimore" Premiere. Wouldn't have seen a dime if it had premiered at MFF instead. I do know some other local filmmakers (lots of them actually, since only one local-ish feature film is in the MFF, out of about 90 time slots) who are also disappointed in not getting into the MFF, and some of them are boycotting it because of this. I understand that and I won't deny I considered doing so myself. But once the bruises to your ego heal, you have to look at the big picture. MFF never claimed to be a festival about Maryland films. They even make a point of saying exactly that on their website. It is simply a film festival that happens to take place in Maryland. They are bringing some amazing films to Baltimore, many of which have already done well in the big three, Tribeca, Toronto, and Sundance. I am not going to cut off my nose to spite my face and miss what is likely my only opportunity to see these films on the big screen. Also I have some friends that work for the festival that have been very supportive of me (who were not decision-makers regarding my entry) and they have worked really hard to make this a great event. I've been to it before and it gets better every year. Sometimes you just have to get over yourself, and see the blessing in disguise. I had a SOLD OUT premiere on a night that was mine and all mine; and I'm going to England.

I got an email this morning from the Red Rock Film Festival of Zion Canyon, saying that "Smalltimore," had made it through to the second round. Red Rock is only in its third year, and before finding it on withoutabox.com I had never heard of it. But there are several reasons I submitted to it: 1) I have never been to Zion National Park, where the festival is held; 2) when I saw the outdoor screen when I clicked on their website (http://www.ophilia.com/), I really, REALLY wanted to see my movie on that screen, and 3) it was super-cheap to submit. Like, two cosmopolitans, not including tip. I didn't go out last night, so it just paid for itself!