Fuck them!

One of my life style choices, is the liberal use of the word "fuck." And I've been saying "fuck them" a lot lately. But in a good way!

One of my posts previously was about changing my life. Going to the gym, and having a more positive outlook on life. Which I took some time getting into. But I did get to it! I've been lifting seriously now for 5 weeks, and eating incredibly healthy for 6 weeks. I've lost 2% body fat and 17 lbs, bringing me down to 23% . Tomorrow is my official Monday weigh in, and I expect to be at about 22.5% and 197lbs. My next short term goal is 190, by April 30.
I have noticed that pretty people are treated differently in this town. Maybe it's every where, but it's not just women. Men react better to other men who are handsome. Maybe it's that fat guys don't look healthy, and if you can't even take care of yourself, why should I trust you? This is obviously a stupid way of thinking about people, but sub consciencely, I think that's what happens.

At first I was intimidated by at the gym. I live in Hollywood CA, and look at these ripped guys, and toned women every day. In the gym they seem like these perfect creatures that can do no wrong. "Fuck them!" I'm not working out to impress them, I'm not eating healthy crap so I can measure myself to their level of fitness. I'm doing it for me! That mentality is letting me do it. Being able to move past that mental block has freed me to cruise past my own personal insecurities way faster than I ever had before.
Chicks are paying more attention to me, and guys are taking me more seriously. It's not because I look muscular, or look like I've recently lost weight. It's because I have a new confidence that I had lacked before. So I will continue to Fuck them, and get myself farther into the mind space that I need to be in.

The other way I've been using "FT" is for the haters. A Good friend and school mate of mine, Casey, and I made a short film based on EA Games newest title, "Army of Two: The Devil's Carte." It turned out very well, and we had an absolute blast making it. I served as the armorer and more or less as the military consultant. If you want to see a behind the scenes, with me talking about the guns, and my job, here's the video. 

And here's the video of the full short.

If you look at the comments section, you'll see lots of haters, saying that the camera work sucks, or the visual effects suck. Fuck them. What have they done? It takes nothing to sit in your chair and criticize another's work. Until you offer solutions to fix the problems, go fuck yourself.
Constructive criticism is different, that I invite any day of the week.

Any way, if you like the film, don't worry. Another one is already in the works. It'll be far better, because this proves that we can tell a story, and on a limited budget, make a kick ass visually striking film.

In other news, Rally Point Radio has kicked off. It's going very well. Our second show was a success, and more and more people are down loading it every day. So if you'd like to give it a listen and hear what Casey and I think about making it in Hollywood as veterans, listen to the show here:

Rally Point Radio

I'm always pleased to see that people are reading this blog. It makes it worth writing. I like seeing that I have international readership. Last month, I had a big push from Russia. So thanks, to my Russian fans. If you guys like reading my thoughts about my life. Leave me a comment. I'll definitely get back to you!

Stay sharp, and stay tuned my friends. 

Diversify!

Happy Holidays! The time of year when dreams come true, people put aside their differences and come together...oh wait. That's not really how it happens is it?

I've never been one for holidays. I guess, after having spent so many holidays away from home in foreign countries and combat zones, I've seen how important holidays actually are. Even though I grew up in a house where we celebrated Hanukah and Christmas. Look at me now, and as atheist as they come! Whoo! Happy Holidays!

No no no, there's more. Don't worry. Like the title of this blog says "Diversify." The people that I consider to be successful at this level of the game, have their fingers in a lot of pies. A writer who pays the bills as a grip, electrician, and carpenter. Or a camera guy who shoots independent stuff who also works at a camera rental house.
It's partially to pay the bills, but it's also to stay busy. It's hard to always have something to do in this business. If you ONLY want to do production sound, and refuse to do anything else, it's going to be incredibly difficult to have enough work to live on. So learn how to do post production sound also, and while you're at it, learn how to edit. That way when you meet a potential client, you can be their one stop shop for sound and post production. You're increasing your value with every skill you pick up.

When I was trying to get into stunt work, I was taking jobs doing grip and electric work, as well as military advisor, armorer, and acting gigs.

I actually just watched "Hugo" last night, didn't love it, but I certainly appreciate it as a great film. The whole premise was about the film maker Georges Melies. His film "A trip to the Moon" is the logo of the Visual Effects Society, VES. Their award is the moon with the ship in the eye, which we have about six of in the Stargate office. I never really realized what they were, now I know the story. So thanks, Marty Scorsese!
In 4 1/2 years I'll be eligible to apply for membership into the VES. I heard some of the guys in the office, talking about their "Hobbit" screeners. I need to see that movie. It would be nice to have it delivered to my apartment.

So one of the things that I was going to do to diversify, was to host an internet radio show. That's been put on hold, because the school that was sponsoring it has fallen through for now. They still want to do it, but it's taking a back seat for a little while. I'm still confident that it will go on, but it's shelved for the immediate future.
Next, I've started a YouTube channel. I sit down and interview popular content creators and talk about their lives. I want to give it a personal touch, and help their audiences really get a feel for who are they are. I'm really excited about our launch, which was tonight. Check it out, and if you like it, subscribe:

Mr. Third Side

That's my big announcement. I'm very excited. Next stop, partner!

Happy Holidays, stay sharp, and stay tuned. 

Getting a job is a job.

I'm involved with several different online film making communities, and something that I've been seeing from newer members lately, has been bugging me. I don't want to address it there and make people feel foolish, so hopefully they will find their way here and see this.

Making posts online like "I need a job" and "who's hiring" isn't helping any one. The other one I see is, "I'm a _____, and I'm looking for work." Damn! Come one guys, you are supposed to be professionals. 

I'll address these one at a time. 

Just saying that you need a job is not helpful to any one. If I were in a position where I needed to hire someone, the first people that I go to are the people that I know and trust. People that I have worked with and know first hand that I can rely on. Secondly, I will talk to people who bear the seal of approval of those people that I trust. If I'm desperate, and the recommendation carries enough weight, I might bring that person on with out a second thought, or maybe do a brief and informal interview.
Lastly, hiring people I don't know. Taking resumes, interviews, and calling people that I have met at events. 

If you just say that you need a job, you actually say to me "I don't have enough experience or a large enough network to get a job on my own. I don't even have a reel or resume to share." 

Being a novice is not a fault, but it is something that you need to fight against. 

I heard it said this weekend, "You can't do it until you've done it." Meaning that no one wants to hire you until you have the experience of that job. Its counter intuitive, but still kind of makes sense. Would YOU hire a plumber who had never piped a house? So how does he get the experience of piping a full house? 

One answer given yesterday was lie. Make sure that you don't let them down, or get caught in the lie. So make sure you bring your A game. 

The Second line that pisses me off, "I'm an editor/make up artist/what ever."

You need to post some kind of reel or portfolio, especially when it's a creative position like an editor. You can not hire an artistic position based on talk. I've done that, and it was a mistake. Though...even having a reel and portfolio can't tell you what a person is truly capable of. You can be fooled.  

One last thought, people talk about how much time they spend looking for jobs. Getting frustrated is natural, just remember one thing: you only need to talk to one person. The person who has the job for you. You may need to talk to 1000 people before you get to that person. I was extremely lucky, and found him very quickly. 

Just because you talked to that 1000 people doesn't earn you any extra kudos, but hopefully you don't think of those 1000 people in such black and white terms. That's 1000 potential employers down the road once you have a little more experience. 

If you practice hitting a baseball for 1000 hours, but practice wrong, you haven't improved. So bragging about it makes you sound stupid!

Quantity of time spent on an endeavor is not proportional to it's return. 

That's all I have for now. Stay sharp, and stay tuned. 

Changes Changes Changes

So, to my loyal reader, I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted. I played with the idea of quitting the blog all together, but my strange need for the approval of others won out. I just like the world to know what I'm doing. I think I have a pretty interesting life, and maybe somewhere out there, people are interested.
I don't remember exactly where I left off with the blog (ya, I know I could load a new window and read my last post. Don't be such a smart ass), so I'll recap the last few months. After graduating from the LA Film School, I went on a 10 day trip to Israel, and had a blast. It wasn't life changing or anything, but it was fun and eye opening. I still don't believe in god, but it was good to see that part of the world. Especially after having seen parts of the Muslim region, to see the Jewish part was...educational.
Just before I started the trip, I got a call from my father, who told me to call his friend about a job at a visual effects company. I called and left a message saying that I was very excited for the opportunity, and I'd love to come in for an interview. That was all, then I went on my trip. When I got home, I found that I had got the job, and was going to start in three days. My parents took the liberty of changing my flight from New York to LA from Monday to Friday. Very smart, because I started work on Sunday.
Long story short, I now am employed full time by Stargate Studios in Pasadena CA. I am the Previzion operator. Previzion is a technology that attaches to a movie camera and records it's movement in a 3D space AND replaces green screen in real time. It's an incredibly powerful tool for directors and producers on set. The director and cinematographer can line up shots and see what the composed image will look like. We can also finish the shot in camera and give that to the producers, to put straight into the editor's sweet, then right onto television.
There are so few people that can operate this system, you could probably count them on your fingers and toes. So this really is ground breaking stuff. I can't believe how fortunate I am to have this job. A month out of film school, and I have a full time job that can take me all the way to the top. Incredible!
So no more stunts for me.

I need to be very careful what I put on this blog, I have signed several NDAs (Non Disclosure Agreements). I could get fired or sued if I say the wrong thing. So if I seem vague in the future, I'm sorry. I'll tell you what I can, when I can.

I'll be keeping the "stuntdan" title. I still love that.
Since I have a real job now, I have my VA disability money coming in, and I have my car paid off now. So I can afford to go out and have a good time. So I signed up with the USPSA, the United States Practical Shooting Association. I have two pistol competitions under my belt, I took 2nd and 1st place! Of course I was shooting against only three people. If I change classes, I can shoot against more people, but this is nice to not have pressure, I can continue to learn and get better. Which I will. I'll link some videos as I get some that make me look cool.

So like always, continue to stay sharp, and stay tuned.

Directing is not showing up on set and calling "Action."

Directing is not showing up on set and calling "Action." There is so much work that goes into directing, before you set foot on a set. So much, that people are hired to help the director. These people are called department heads, they SHOULD be more knowledgeable (in their fields) than the director. In fact a good director knows to surround themselves with people that are smarter than they are.
The shooting of thesis films this month really taught me a lot. If you're reading this and I worked with you this past month, I'm not trying to single any one out. A lot of good things did happen.

To direct a film you need to have a vision, and be able to communicate that vision to the people working with you. You need to be able to put every one on the same page, so you are all making the same film. This is one of the things that a strong Assistant Director will do. As far as non creative positions go, the 1st AD is the most important person on set, they can make or break your movie.

If you want to be a director, there are times when you need to STFU and listen to the people that you have around you. They are there for a reason, and YOU probable put them there for a reason! Your idea is not always the best, while you do have the final say, learn to swallow your pride and compromise. It's hard to know what things to compromise on, and it comes from experience, but a director with no willingness to compromise will fail.

Me (1st AD): You're not going to get all your shots today what do you want to cut?
Director: No it's ok, we can get them all.
Me: No you can't. The speed we've been going at is too slow, and you're running out of time. You have one hour left, and can not get three more shots.
Director: Yes I can, we're shooting them all, we'll just go really really fast.

I get very nervous when some one tells me not to worry. Unless there is sustenance behind their "Don't worry" such as, "Don't worry, I know a guy who has a steadycam rig, and he's already agreed to help out, I just need to iron out the dates." That puts my mind at ease. But saying, "Don't worry, it'll work out." Doesn't do it for me.

There is a theory in film making, the triangle if you will. You can have things either; Fast, Good, and Cheap, Pick two. I prefer always keep good, then depending on the circumstances, fast or cheap.

This weekend I spent Cinco De Mayo in one of California's beautiful Los Padres national forest, shooting guns with friends. What a great way to celebrate...what ever it is that happened on the 5th of May in what ever year it happened on. I got a little creative with my Contour HD camera.

It was a fun day, I did a lot of shotgun, so my shoulder is a little sore, but everything else was great.

Forgive my disjointed rantings today, I felt like it was a good time, after I had collected my thoughts to put them down on internet.

So do your homework if you want to direct. If your production calls for money, and you don't have it, either change the production, or GET SOME MONEY. I hate being on a shoot where no one gets paid, craft services (food) is a joke, and the director won't shell out for anything extra. If you want your film to have a low budget feel, stay low budget, but if you have a grandiose vision you will probably have to pay for it. There are plenty of ways to raise money today, Indygogo.com and kickstarter.com are great.

There is a lot more to being a director than calling action and cut. Things that you wouldn't even think about, try to get on set and just watch, take notes, ask questions, and learn that you have so much more to learn.

So in conclusion, get money, respect the people that work for you, stay true to the story, stay sharp, and stay tuned.