T h e L a k e E f f e c t F i l m B l o g

I DIRECTED A DANCE BATTLE!

2011-11-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

Last night was Night 1 of a three-night Pioneer Electronics commercial shoot that I'm helping out on for my very talented buddy Zack Mathers. Part of the commercial is highlighting a new Pioneer product called STEEZ (steeze is a street term that is a combination of style and ease... "What's your steeze?" is like "What's your deal? What's your thing?")

The product is a boombox designed specifically for dancers -- you can adjust the tempo, pick specific BPMs (beats per minute) without affecting the pitch of the song. For anyone who has ever learned or taught a dance routine - you know that this is awesome... You can play back a routine at half speed to learn it clean and then pick up the BPMs as you get it down. I heart this thing to bits.

Anyway, Zack and I always work really closely creatively on set, and, knowing my slight (read: massive) obsession with dance movies, he let me direct the dance battle scene that played out with the Steez product!

I repeat: I got to direct a dance battle scene!!!!!

So, I can officially cross "Direct a Dance Battle" off my bucket list. (FYI: "Direct Dance Battle" is just below "Win Oscar" and just above "Get on SNL." It combines my two favorite arts - Dance and Movies - in a battle, which is just good drama. In fact, I pitch dance movies, typically climaxing in a dance battle in almost every meeting. Studio Executive: So what are you working on? What do you want to do next? Me: A dance movie. I was thinking like a Die Hard 5, the dance version. Studio Executive: Hahahah! You're funny. Me: No, seriously.)

Here's some picks from the fun, freezing night of dancing it out...

Zack telling me not to eff it all up.

T and B together on set... again. Now we just need to get
Luna working in Art Department and we'll be good.

Movie Magic Makers.

Mike Carrasco of ABDC working it.

In closing, what I learned from this experience is that most things can and should be resolved through dance battles. Family problems? Dance battle. Impending Foreclosure? Bank v. Home Owner dance battle. Conflict in the Middle East? All together now... Israeli-Palestinian DANCE BATTLE.

Dance Battle for life.

Amazing things

2011-11-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hey Party People!

I hope you are all recovering from your weekend of Halloween revelry. I worked all weekend, finishing up a draft of an overdue script so that I could take time off on Monday, when our fairy tale family traipsed around as a: The Big Bad Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, and the cutest little piggy you've ever seen!

In other, more relevant news, yesterday I found out that I've been accepted to the WGA's Writer/Director Mentorship program - which is so so exciting! They are trying to foster the relationship between the WGA and the DGA as well as get writers to be more involved in their projects... I'll let you know as soon as I can who my amazing mentor is going to be.

But for now - I have to keep this short. I have a pitch at Nickelodeon this morning -- basically me talking for twenty minutes straight -- and I have to practice so I don't get in there and make a complete ass of myself:

Executive, "Hey, so tell me about this story!"

Me, "Uhhh.... uhhh.... uhhhh."

Ah, the glitz, the glamour... Cross some fingers for me, huh?

PS: If you didn't see it - here's the pic of me and Brett in the Sunday edition of the Ventura County Star!!!! Read the article HERE.

Me. 8 1/2 months pregnant after a 12 hour shoot day, looking exhausted -
Brett, looking fabulous.

PSS: Lake Effect lovers - Keep posting pics of you with your copies on the facebook page! And if you've watched and liked the movie, please find somewhere on line to review it! Amazon or netflix would be GREAT!

Most creative pic so far, thanks PK and Optimus Prime.

RELEASED.

2011-10-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hi ho - so we are one week into our TLE sales.

I have to say - I have absolutely no idea how it's going. Working with a distributor is funny - they are working with lots of other companies - netflix, amazon, walmart, as well as twenty plus actual video stores that carry the movie -- and I have no idea how many copies anyone has ordered, rented, sold, etc.
I may have a better idea when we get our quarterly report.

Also, Jennifer and I are both very busy on other projects -- though we did do some press that I'll post here as soon as the articles are printed. (If you live in Ventura, Santa Barbara, or Michigan - keep an eye out in your local paper)

In the meantime, I can announce this:

Amazon has only TWO COPIES LEFT!

...That bodes well, I think. Someone asked: "Does that mean that Amazon didn't order very many?" I'm a glass-half-full-kinda-gal (on my good days) so I'll say NO! What that means is that people ordered all the many many copies that Amazon ordered all up!!!!

BOXES OF BOXES!

Not to worry, if you see that they are sold out on Amazon, I believe Amazon will soon be stocking more.

In addition, if you see me on the street, you can buy a copy off of me for $20 cash. Bargain really, since you don't have to deal with shipping.

If you are cast or crew and are owed a copy (see Jennifer Westin for qualifying details) I imagine you will get one at some point in the near future - possibly when Jennifer returns from shooting her big time indie movie in New York with Ross Partridge (I feel incredibly proud and only a wee bit left out) ;)

So - in closing, if you have your copy of The Lake Effect, I hope you are enjoying it, not pirating it, and telling your friends about it at every chance you get. If you're not sure how to plug The Lake Effect into every day conversation, you could try this:

YOU: Hi Friend.
FRIEND: Hey.
YOU: Seen any good movies lately?
FRIEND: Yes, actually - all the Oscar contenders are ---
YOU (interrupting): Not as good as this little indie movie I just watched on DVD!! It's called The Lake Effect and it's awesome. You should check it out!
(And so on...)

Hope that helps!

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

2011-10-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

I will do this to my hair if it sells DVDs.

T-MINUS 1 WEEK UNTIL THE MUCH ANTICIPATED RELEASE OF THE LAKE EFFECT!

This weekend, a friend asked me if he could buy the DVD straight off of me instead of off of a website - and if that would help us out more... The answer is yes and yes -- in fact, I had big plans of throwing a TLE DVD release party - only problem is that I'm in production and Jennifer Westin is in NY, also in production... and to be honest, I'm a little nervous that if I threw a party it will just be me (and Brett, he's obligated), sitting in a bar somewhere with a box of DVDS after a 12 hour shoot day, all alone.

In the meantime, if you happen to see me on the street, yes - I may have a DVD in my bag that I can sell you for $20. Otherwise, it's just a click away...

It's already discounted, what?!

BTW - let's say you don't want to buy the movie. You've seen it or you don't even own a DVD player, what can you do to help TLE??? A FAVOR -- anyone who has seen the movie: PLEASE GET ON-LINE and WRITE A REVIEW ON AMAZON!!! Even if you're not the kind of person who normally writes reviews on amazon! I'll be your best friend...

All work and no play makes Tara a...

2011-10-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

Delirious Blogger.

That's gonna be my new band name.

This week I missed out on a trip to Michigan to go to the very cool Hell's Half Mile Film Festival. (True story: Two old men were overheard in the bathroom saying how affected they were by the movie! - I didn't know that men talked to each other in the bathroom but I did know that old men love us. Buy a copy for your Grandpa!!!) I also had to turn down a trip to the Jacksonville Film Festival, a great little festival run by fellow filmmaker Warren Skeels - where The Lake Effect will be screening later this month. I suppose these are good problems to have - I had to turn them down because I am working! Working working working working working. On a web series, a commercial, a music video, a pilot, a spec script, and (currently) this blog. Not to mention trying (not desperately, just trying) to get everyone and their mother excited about buying a copy of TLE!

Everyone wants this sweet-looking DVD!

I had this idea -- I could go around to people who should really buy the movie out of obligation (Hi Mom!) and make them do it on camera...(See! So Easy - you can do it on your phone! You can buy it from your laptop, Ipad! Use your telephone!) And then the obligated purchasers could talk about how excited they are. I'll edit the whole thing with star wipes and then post it (ON THIS BLOG - so self reflexive, planning my next blog while I blog) and it would inspire everyone to buy my movie!! It could be sweet.

I'm a little punchy. Been writing since 5. Forgive. Then pre-buy the movie. I know - I'm a broken record. Don't worry. It'll die down on October 18th (and then maybe start up again around the Holidays).

T-MINUS 22 DAYS til the OCT 18th RELEASE DATE Y'ALL*!

2011-09-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Can you stand it??! T-minus 22 days til THE LAKE EFFECT release date! (Which means only 22 more days of me acting like Crazy Eddy having a fire sale!!!!)

Here's a taste of what you'll get when you open your shiny plastic-wrapped TLE DVD box...

Ooh, Ahh... a little workaholic Ross Partridge from the original poster... I love that shot.

Last night, I did the final quality check of the dvd. It's really great and I'm so so excited for everyone to see not just the movie but the Behind the Scenes Featurette and the Outtakes and to hear me and the ladies doing our silly yet informative Audio Commentary, where you'll hear all about how Ross scared me when he first showed up on set and how Kay had 3 am dance parties on the beach while the old people were sleeping.

Good stuff.

Now stop reading this blog and go buy another copy of The Lake Effect!

(*The "Y'all" is honor of my writing partner Cindy, who is kickin ass and taking names far away in the land of Texas until we sell a huge script and I drag her back to LA-LA land. Miss you Cindy!)

SAVE ME!

2011-09-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I went to an amazing panel on Writer/Directors at the Writers Guild -- five inspirational hours of information on how to be a hyphenate creative career person in Hollywood from panelists Billy Ray (Shattered Glass) David S. Goyer (Batman Begins) Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give). After the panel, I was chatting with another female comedy writer in the parking lot and Nancy Meyers drove past us... She slowed, rolled down her window and called out, "Women directors? Don't you give up!!!"

The woman wrote PRIVATE BENJAMIN, people. FATHER OF THE BRIDE. BABY BOOM. And STILL it took her years on a (very) successful writing and producing career to get to directing her first film. I've been in LA for 12 years. Writing for 10. Making THE LAKE EFFECT for 2 1/2. Two and a half years!!! That's how long it's taken us to make THE LAKE EFFECT and get it to you. THANK YOU for your patience... thank you. And thank you, Nancy, for those much needed words of encouragement.

I am excited to announce that the wait is OVER!!!! Today is the day, Lake-lovers! You can officially SAVE your hot little copy of THE LAKE EFFECT!

This SAVE is unlike the other save (the one I encouraged you to do on Netflix...) This save means YOUR COPY of THE LAKE EFFECT will ship to you on OCTOBER 18th. You can be the first of your friends on your block to own a copy! Heck, feeling generous? Buy copies for the whole block!

You can do it on AMAZON.

You can do it at CD UNIVERSE.
(And yes, you can still save it at Netflix but we're not sure when that Save will turn to ADD TO QUEUE... PS: If you haven't heard, Netflix will now be Qwikster, the DVD branch of Netflix... Ah, how I love the in-between stages of media delivery/technology. For all the sordid details about that story, look here.)

Now, this doesn't mean that the movie will never be in your Pay-Per-View list or On Demand or on cable... this is just the first wave of the release.

So - I am asking you today, if you have read this far, please do THREE THINGS that will make a world of difference to us...
1) Buy the movie!
2) Write a glowing review on-line (Netlfix, Amazon, wherever!!)
3) Blog, tweet, facebook, digg, share, blast about the movie to your friends, family, and fans. Only you can prevent DVD launch failures!!!!

More Michigan, Pre-Order Countdown, and QC Checks...

2011-09-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

So much to talk about this week, let's break it down...

1. LUCKY MICHIGAN

I'm taking THE LAKE EFFECT back to Michigan!

Anyone can make a

map of Michigan on the fly.

THE LAKE EFFECT is playing in Bay City at the Hell's Half Mile Film Festival September 29th-October 2nd! So, for all you Michiganders that missed it the first time around... come out and say hi!
Where is Bay City, you ask? It's in that little armpit of your thumb. Near Ann Arbor! ***I stand corrected - Near Saginaw!! - thanks Laura!****

I'm very excited to go to this festival because a good friend of mine Shaun O'Banion will be there with his movie GIRLFRIEND which I've been dying to see and also I get to hang out with ROSS PARTRIDGE all weekend! His movie THE OFF HOURS will be screening as well (which I also can't wait to see) It will be a Ross Partridge retrospective!

2. MARK YOUR CALENDERS!
Prepare to be harassed from now until Christmas (or Hanukah or Kwanzaa or Winter Solstice)! It's T-MINUS 8 Days until you can pre-order THE LAKE EFFECT on September 21^st! And T-MINUS a bunch more days until you can have it in your hot little hands on our street date -- October 18th!
Woot woot!!!!
Next week, I'll post links to all the sites where you can buy the movie...

3. DONE AND DONER.
I found some closure yesterday as Jennifer and I plopped down in front of the tele for a QC (quality check) of the DVD. It was nice that the DVD came in this envelope from our distributor...

TLE, front and center.

We loaded up the movie and enjoyed a couple of trailers and checked out the main menu and the Additional Features -- Behind the Scenes, Raindance Q n A, Audio Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Bloopers - this DVD is chock full of extras, people! Save it! Queue it! Pre-order it! Buy it! Tell your friends! Thank you!

Super cool.

Lynette Howell on “Producing Is Supporting New Talent Through More Than Just Production”

2011-09-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is a re-post from Producer Ted Hope's blog HOPE FOR FILM. My dear friend Lynette Howell, a ridiculously smart and hard-working indie producer, talks about the challenges facing indie film and about taking distribution into your own hands...

From Ted:

If you are a regular reader of this blog, or follower of mine on Twitter, I think you know that for me a Producer only deserves that credit when they truly commit to support the project from beginning to end. You also probably know how challenging I find the calling of producing these days, when we are required to do more and more, and are rewarded, at least financially, less and less.

It is always inspiring for me, when a Producer steps forward, embraces the full demand of the role, and does with a great attitude and recognition of the benefits that come from the commitment. Lynette Howell has not been producing that long, but she has learned a great deal, as we all can from her generosity of a guest post today.

From Lynette:

ON THE ICE –

Supporting new talent through more than just production:

The kind of exploration into distribution that I find myself doing on my film ON THE ICE is new for me… uncharted territory and truthfully out of my comfort zone, but one that I find myself glad I am being somewhat forced into not only embracing, but championing.

As an independent Producer, I started my company with the mandate of supporting new talent. At first, this was a necessity. I didn’t have any relationships with established Directors when I entered the business. Therefore the only way to begin a career producing meant that I had to find projects that other more established producers didn’t want to take on - either because they were too challenging to make, or too small for a Producer to earn a living on. This necessity quickly turned into my true passion for discovering new voices and this passion then turned into an understanding of how crucial this kind of support is to the continued growth and evolution of the independent industry.

Since my first movie almost 7 years ago (Ryan Flecks HALF NELSON) I have produced many movies of all sizes and genres, ranging from Derek Cianfrance’s BLUE VALENTINE to David Ellis’s SHARK NIGHT 3D. But it is not the size, scope or scale that draws me towards putting my energy into a project, - it is about finding stories that speak to me, and they continue to often come from new filmmakers.

As an Advisor to the Sundance Creative Producing Initiative, I continue to be a huge supporter in any way that I can of up and coming filmmakers. In 2009 I met Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, the Writer and Director of the short film SIKUMI that was the winner of the Jury Prize for Short Filmmaking at Sundance the prior year. He was at the Directors Lab with a script for his feature film ON THE ICE along with his producing partner Cara Marcous who was also a Lab fellow.

On The Ice

The script for ON THE ICE had so many built in challenges to it -
1. LOCATION - Set in Barrow, Alaska - which is the Northern-most point in the United States, deep in the Arctic Circle. The only way in or out during the winter months is by plane.
2. WEATHER - Temperatures can drop to 40 below with wind chill. All gear has to be winterized prior to shooting. And for some scenes crew cannot have any skin exposed because of the high risk of frostbite.
3. CASTING NON ACTORS - The script featured an all Inuit cast and Andrew felt it was crucial to work with local non-actors.
4. BUDGET - Making a movie in these extreme conditions does have a cost and so raising money for this would be extremely challenging.
5. SHOOTING SCHEDULE - The ONLY month we could shoot in Barrow was April because of weather and light issues (Barrow has 24 hours of darkness in the winter, and 24 hours of sunlight in the summer). Therefore we had a very short window to put this movie together!

But it was such a fresh script, setting and structure for a movie that I simply had to get involved despite all the obstacles

Through 5 different equity investors, a post-production deal, numerous grants, a tax credit and tons of support in kind, Cara and I managed to raise the money necessary to make the movie.

Production was such a challenge because of the above-mentioned issues (and some I didn’t forsee, such as using a bucket for a toilet everyday on the frozen tundra). But we managed to make a very special film that feels unlike anything I have seen before. The movie premiered at Sundance in competition earlier this year and went on to win two awards at the Berlinale Film Festival (the Crystal Bear and Best First Feature Film). The awards validation proved that there was an audience for this film, but we all knew that it was going to take a creative way to reach them.

All the incredible effort from so many people pushing this unbelievably challenging movie from a short film all the way to a critically acclaimed feature film found itself with an uncertain distribution future.

Given the technological advances and through social media, there is an opportunity for my support, your support and the support of many others towards new filmmakers to now transition into distribution in a meaningful way.

I have made movies that went to festivals before and weren’t able to find a distributor willing to pay a MG, or give the movie a wide, or even aggressive platform release. I have been left selling a film for a very small amount of money and then having it released in five to ten cities and ultimately no one really hearing about it or seeing it due to lack of marketing dollars or the same level of passion and commitment from the distributor that came from the filmmaking team who struggled to make the movie. Filmmakers traditionally feel more comfortable with the idea of a “real” distributor releasing a movie, even without a viable plan to release their film because there is a stigma associated with not having this branding. I believe this stigma is potentially short sighted and want to support the idea of alternative methods of distribution, especially for movies like ON THE ICE which don’t fall into the obviously commercial slam dunk scenarios for most distributors, no matter the size – but that clearly have an audience.

Through the new Sundance Initiative and Kickstarter, we are exploring a different approach to distribution for ON THE ICE. We are trying to raise $80k which will allow us to take the movie to a much broader audience than would be possible had we gone down the traditional path of a somewhat cosmetic theatrical release or a non-theatrical route. I want this movie to be SEEN by as many people as possible. The work that our team has been doing is staggering – more care and attention to detail in how to approach this audience and really use the money raised to reach a much broader number of people is incredible. It takes a lot of effort and determination. But I want to prove it can work, so that we can continue to ensure that the new voices of tomorrow’s filmmakers have a home for their movies.

If you are reading this, there’s a good chance you are involved in independent film or independent art of some kind. So, you may not be in a position to pledge much money, but I hope that you will consider passing our Kickstarter link on to the friends and colleagues in your life who might be interested in what we’re trying to do. The act of forwarding this on is incredibly powerful for us and it could mean we can release our film.

To support ON THE ICE go to our kickstarter page:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andrewmaclean/on-the-ice-the-movie

I WISH I HAD KNOWN...

2011-08-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to a panel at The Writers Guild called "$#!@ I wish I had known," featuring four very successful screenwriters. It was informative, interesting... and depressing as all hell.

This isn't entirely due to the panel - Some of the panelists were pragmatic if not optimistic (having a lot of money in the bank and jobs lined up helps that) but one or two of the panelists couldn't stop talking how the industry is going to hell in a hand basket, etc etc.

"Back in my day, if you had a great script, you could drop it on the 405 and it would sell!"

Spot the script.

Look, I don't know what it is, but there's just something about getting a bunch of neurotic screenwriters in a room together that leads to a lot of vitriol, executive bashing, and general malaise. Regardless, I came out of the panel better informed, with a little fire in my gut to get through the two drafts that I'm in the middle of, and with this blog idea...

TARA MIELE'S TEN THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN...

1. It doesn't take one script to make you a screenwriter. It takes seven.
- When I was 23, I was so focused on the one big idea that I had, sure that it would get me my shot at directing and then I would never have to write again! (A girl can dream). Two dozen scripts later... I realize that you have to focus on the work - not the end result, not the escape route, just the work and the end result (fame, fortune, etc.) will come. Just look at how famous and rich I AM! (insert winking emoticon and/or LOL here.)

2. You won't get an agent until you get a job and once you get a job you probably don't really need an agent.

3. It's up to you to keep up your connections, to reach out to executives and establish a working relationship so that they want to work with you again.

4. On pitching. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Don't underestimate the tall order that is telling a 20 minute oral story to two or more high powered executives who have the power to get you health coverage and pay your rent for the year. Prepare.

5. You will be re-written. And you will re-write someone else. It's not personal. It's work. It's money. And it's a step closer to getting the movie made, which is what we all want. Thank the Executives for everything and offer to help in any way you can as the project moves forward. You never know, maybe some director or star will come on that likes your old draft better and then you'll be back on the project!

6. When someone offers you a million dollars to make your movie, you say YES!
- I was in a fancy hotel at a fancy restaurant eating a fancy dinner on this investor's fancy dime - and when the money came up, I balked at the low option price (indie budgets don't have much if any room to pay writer/directors - did you know that? I didn't know that). I worried aloud about how I would support myself for the year that it would take to make the movie. Valid problem, inopportune time to worry. Silly artist, trying to support yourself!

7. Don't talk politics in a meeting unless you're sure the exec dislikes George Bush as much as you do.

8. When you get paid, it can feel like you've won the lottery. Don't act that way. Unless you're a TV writer and you're guaranteed another script that season and you're getting a weekly paycheck, don't spend that money like it's coming again next week. Budget. Or splurge and get a car (I still have the car I bought when we optioned COUGARS, which, man (checks watch), needs to be replaced, STAT.)
- by the way - that option expired and was just RE-UPPED by Screen Gems so a movie that I thought would never be made is alive again! And I get a little money out of nowhere, which is like two lottery wins! I'll let you know how that moves forward...

9. Know who you're meeting with, working with, pitching to. Do your research before meeting a producer and definitely before getting into bed with a producer. Ask around or at the very least google them. And trust your instincts.

10. When you go to any premiere, dress business casual. Do not wear a formal dress unless you are the star of the movie.

- I, one time, due to a dirty clothes dilemma, ended up in something a little too fabulous at an indie premiere at the ArcLight and a certain producer who will remain unnamed just couldn't stop commenting on how fabulous I looked. We had met before but she was sure that I didn't look "so nice" last time. The more she kept on it, the more I felt like I'd driven in from Kansas to "go to the big premiere." It haunts me just like the time in seventh grade that I wore that entirely too-neon yellow outfit and one of the eight graders asked if I could "Flick the switch to off."

So that's it! Now go take over Hollywood.

PS: While we're talking advice and fashion: Never wear mauve to a ball. Or pink. Or open your mouth. (whoever gets this reference, gets a cookie.)

I CAN'T DANCE SO I MAKE MOVIES.

2011-08-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I took a jazz class at the world-famous Millennium Dance Complex in glamorous North Hollywood, California. (Seriously, the place is famous: Brittany, Miley, all the girls whose names end in “y”, train there.)

Here’s how it went down:

My fifteen year-old, Irish step-dancing cousin was in town and wanted to take a class there and asked if I would take it with her. The idea terrified me, so I knew I had to do it. I went, I tried, I sucked. It was AWESOME.

In a previous life, I busted a sweet move or two on my high school dance team. (Crossing fingers that video of that never surfaces…) I stopped dancing my Freshman year at UCSB, due to a really awful back injury (I wore a sweet back brace for my first 8 months of college – made me VERY popular with the boys).

It crushed me that I had to stop dancing. But here’s the truth: I was not a great dancer. I loved it and I could do some advanced turns and leaps but I wasn’t a natural talent – I wasn’t going to move audiences with my moves. I certainly was never going to go pro.

And once I stopped dancing, I found film. And film felt like home. And film was easier on my back and my knees and my hips…

I still love dance. Still miss it. Still watch 'So You Think You Can Dance' and tear up in awe of what the human body can do. And I still bust a move to Nicky Menag in my office when I need a writing break…

But I’ve found that film and dance have a lot in common. They both boil down to visuals and sound working together to tell a story and evoke emotion. When I sit in the editing room, I count the timing of the cuts – 1, 2, 3 and out and 1, 2 out, and 1… Film has a rhythm.

And now I’m jonesing to do a dance movie... Breakin' 2 meets Footloose with a dash of Dirty Dancing, anyone?

Look Books for Life

2011-08-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm hovering over my computer, like always - but I am playing with images instead of words.

An example of one of the
lead character's hippie chic look...

I am putting together a "Look Book," as a sort of audition for a directing job... culling together images that inspire me and illustrate what exactly my version of the film will look like. Thank god for Google and Flickr cause I cannot draw to save my life. We considered including storyboards on the DVD extras for THE LAKE EFFECT but they all consisted of a box (the camera) and an attaced V (the lens) pointing at circles (heads) with two attached semi-circles (shoulders) and little triangles (noses) indicating which way the heads were facing.

Despite my lack of art skills (note to self: take a freakin' drawing class), I find that directing work is an amazing compliment to writing - it's so tangible - so real world. Finding the songs that sound like the film, building a wish list of who would star in the film, building physical elements makes going back in to do the more abstract world of writing easier for me...

Doing a little directing work is a great writing exercise... A writer should know what his or her movie looks and feels and sounds like - it may not end up that way in the end but maybe in the exploration you will find some details worth writing into the script... details that interest a director or actor... details that make the story jump off the page.

Hell, maybe making a look book is a good exercise for non-writers too! Everyone should build a look book for their life... like a virtual hope chest that you could visit when you've lost your way... or that you show to prospective employers or dates: "My theme song is, "Where is My Mind" by The Pixies and here's what my unrealistically large place on the upper west side will look like... and here's Johnny Depp, he'll be playing the role of 'My Husband...'"

You may want to leave out that last part if you show it to a date who is not Johnny Depp.

NETFLIX and THE LAKE EFFECT'S QUEUE US CAMPAIGN!

2011-08-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

An open letter to fans, friends and family:

Dear You,

As you may remember, two summers ago, I worked on a little movie called THE LAKE EFFECT. The film has enjoyed great success on the festival circuit, winning Best Feature and Audience Choice at the Moondance Fim Festival and Best Screenplay and Best Ensemble acting at The Phoenix Film Festival. Here’s what people are saying about the film:

"(The Lake Effect is)...a classic American indie film... beautifully shot... wonderfully constructed; every character brings a different perspective on life and love to the film and they clash in wonderfully delicate, subtle ways. Smart, funny and tender, the dialogue is brought to life by nuanced performances from all the actors..."

- Raindance Film Festival, London

"...a well acted and terrifically realized relationship dramedy..."

- Film Threat

Today, we are beginning our “QUEUE US” CAMPAIGN. We need your help if we are going to get this movie seen!

Netflix is waiting for enough people to have The Lake Effect in their queue for it to become officially "available" on their site. If you queue it, it will come! PLEASE add THE LAKE EFFECT to your queue by going to:

http://movies.netflix.com/WiSe arch?oq=the+lake+effec&ac_posn =-1&v1=the+lake+effect&search_ submit

If you're still reading this (after you've added us to your queue), I also ask that you PLEASE pass this letter (or some version of it) on to ten friends who you think might be interested in this film. Little films like this live only through word of mouth of people like you...

THANK YOU!!!!

We're so excited for everyone to finally be able to see what we've been working on for so long!

Sincerely,

The makers of THE LAKE EFFECT

PS: Here's our new cover art:

WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW YOU CAN GET THE LAKE EFFECT!

2011-08-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Short and Sweet this morning, as I am about to get on a plane, headed home to LA from a whirlwind trip through New England and New York...
We saw our amazing friends and family, got inspired, got a second draft in to Disney Channel, and hung out by a lake(not Lake Michigan, Lake Peekskill...). Life is sweet -- especially because my little girl (not baby) turned two, reminding me how quickly it is going... which reminds me that it's been a while since we wrapped ye old Lake Effect...

If I were you, reading this, I would be thinking: When the heck are we going to see this thing???

And if I were me writing this, I would be telling you: I have news!!!! If you want to see THE LAKE EFFECT (in North America) you (finally) can!

THE LAKE EFFECT will be available from Amazon, Osiris' website, and a couple of other online DVD sites!

- Pre-orders start Sept 21st
- Street date is Oct 18th. (I love, btw, that we have a "street date" -- I keep wanting to add "my movie's droppin' October 18th" - I know, lame. I'll try to control myself).

By Sept/October, we will also know which retailers have picked it up (blockbuster, family video, etc.) and we should know about a TV deal by then too!

More information about the movie's availability to come in the next couple of weeks (including our new poster, thanks to our distributor!) so please keep checking back!

O.O.T

2011-07-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm on the east coast this week, visiting family and friends and (still) (sort of) working --

Today I took a conference call sitting in the car, in the driveway of my in-laws house. It was my only guaranteed quiet spot! It's a funny thing about this career - work and play overlap and intersect. Every day, an interaction can lead to inspiration or lack of inspiration can lead to a day off... (maybe a forced day off without inspiration isn't really a day off after all...)

I actually get a lot of good work done sitting in the car.

Speaking of combining work and pleasure, I'm very much looking forward to doing some improv work on The Cynics with some NY actors while I'm out here... stay tuned for pics, video, and a summary of that wine-induced madness.

Anyway, that's all for this week! Next week, if I'm allowed, I'll post the new cover art for The Lake Effect...

Finding your way in to character... and back out again.

2011-07-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Once, when I was writing a particularly personal script, I found myself so wrapped up in the emotions of the characters and the drama of their lives that I would be completely wracked afterwards. I would spend hours trying to shake off the mood, mostly by eating large quantities of chocolate.

I finally asked an actor friend of mine for some advice: How do you shake off the mood of a character after a rehearsal or performance?

His answer was simple, "I change my shoes."

It's a trick of theater that we writers don't often think of - but as an actor - getting into character is a process, aided and abetted by the time in front of the make-up mirror, getting into costume, literally strapping on character shoes (dance heels) or boots or whatever... It makes sense that the process of getting out of character should be the reverse, that an actor could become themselves again by stripping off their costume and their make-up and changing back into their street shoes.

As a writer, we don't get that aid - we are expected not only to imagine the world, but the shoes, the face, the mind, and the words of these people. It is no wonder then, that writers are nuts.

The shoe trick, worked, by the way. But I still constantly find myself identifying too closely with my characters. Right now, I am working on a movie about woman who, despite a good career, a good husband, and a good life, feels like she has lost her way. Like she would like to throw the baby out with the bath water (not Baby Luna, just a proverbial baby) quit her job, pack up her house, ditch the city, and move to the country and live off the land.

Now, for the sake of this character and for my own curiosity (which really is the same thing), a show of hands - how many of you (my three readers) constantly question your life or your career path or the city you live in or the life you've chosen (or had chosen for you). Is this American or generational? Is this discontent a privilege of having choices? Is this just something that artists do or is it something that only people in a sinking film industry do?

This inquiring mind wants to know... Because I'm starting a commune in the country and I'm wondering who's with me!

Kidding.

Do not panic. I am not quitting. I am not moving. Yet. I am going to go change my shoes.

Woman on the Verge...

2011-07-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry (again again again) for the delayed post!

Here are some three digestible highlights of my life as a mommy/writer/director/woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown... (homework for the week: See Pedro Almodovar's movie Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.)

1. I am writing a lot. When I'm not writing, I feel like I have a hangover, which I have wittily named, "my writing hangover." During these hangovers, I lose keys, checks, and time.

2. So I feel like every week, I announce, "We finished the movie!" We have finished the movie 145 times. No, not that many - but there are so many steps to finishing! Locking picture, locking sound, marrying the two, mixing the two, re-doing the whole damn thing at broadcast quality... Anyway, I swear this time, it's true! As proof, I present to you, the movie on tape, in all it's old-fashioned glory. Something about tape makes me feel good. Not as good as film, but better than a hard drive. That probably tells you exactly how old I am.

Mmm... HD CAM

3 - Had a GREAT meeting at Disney today with two very smart execs and Cindy and I are starting our second draft of Unplugged. Tell your friends (if your friends are tweens who watch the Disney Channel...) this is going to be a good one. Especially if Disney Channel lets me direct it!

3B - Our awesome TLE composer Paul Larson is writing a demo for the DC movie, channeling his inner teenage girl - LOL. (Teenage girls say "LOL," right?)

I may have said to the PS worker, "Yes,
I need a guaranteed delivery...
This is my life in here." SO dramatic!

4 - I spent an hour in the USPS in Burbank after my DC meeting, in an effort to deliver our film to our International Sales Agent in the UK. As soon as I put the box on the counter, the lady behind the desk groaned. Then I showed her my shipping slip with the UK address and she groaned again. Then she couldn't figure out what "state" London was in. It took me a second to get my head around the problem and assured her that England didn't have states. After that, the postal code NW5 1LB wasn't working on the USPS computer... NW4 and NW6 sure... but not NW5 1 LB. Not sure what is more frustrating - weird British postal codes or the inability of the USPS to figure them the eff out! (PS: And hahahah - just finding some irony in the fact that I'm excited about Jimmy from the Postal Service and also loathing the actual postal service).

5 - Headed off to record a podcast for a filmmaker friend of mine, Travis Betz. Travis and I met at the Phoenix Film Festival, where Travis' amazing zombie musical THE DEAD INSIDE was playing. The movie ruled - it had the lovely, dark, bittersweet comedic tone and was visually stunning - it reminded me of one of my favorite musicals, Sweeney Todd (the original musical, not the movie). Anyway, here's the link to the podcast -- Not sure when it will be up!

6 - Lastly, if you're not on my personal facbook page, then you missed Luna's quote of the week. She was sitting in her kiddie pool in the afternoon and I was talking to Brett about The Cynics and Luna grabs me and says sweetly, "No Mommy no want to make a movie right now!" I told her, "Fair enough." and managed not to do any more work until bedtime. Despite Luna's perpetual cuteness, we are using some tough love and weaning Luna from her binkies. She has mailed the disgusting little things (seriously, they're gross) off to two babies in need and in exchange got this "sleep monkey" to take the edge off.

His name is "Lazybeans."

Needless to say, there has not been much sleep since, I am the worst mother ever, and child services should probably intervene.

FADE OUT.

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED!

2011-07-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

First of all, happy belated birthday, America! I hope if you're sitting at your desk reading this right now, it's with sunburned shoulders and a mild hangover from a weekend of too much fun. I know I am. I took a much needed long weekend to celebrate our final delivery of The Lake Effect. Getting the deliverables together was CRAAAAZY.

For example, last week, I was very busy finishing up something called THE DIALOGUE SPOTTING AND CONTINUITY LIST. It's a document which breaks down the entire movie per shot (all 1,309 of them, to be exact) in a table of images and audio/dialogue, timecode and duration. It looks something like this:

No.	Vision	Audio	Time code
1	Over black	Sounds of splashing water	01:00:00:00
2	EXT-CITY - DAY CU of rippling water	Sounds of splashing water cont.	01:00:06:10
3	WS of city	Light sounds of the city; Car horn; splashing water cont.	01:00:13:00
4	MLS of Rob standing over a pond	Sounds of splashing water cont; Sound of coin dropping into water	01:00:18:22
5	MS of Rob looking upwards	Sounds of splashing water ROB (V.O.): ...At 250,000 that number becomes fifteen percent…	01:00:24:00
6	INT- OFFICE- DAY MLS of Rob & two business men in office	Office noise ROB: …or two dollars profit per member per month.	01:00:28:00
7	MCU of Rob	Office noise ROB: In five years, you guys are in the black…	01:00:32:00
8	MCU of Dex’s hands	Office noise Sound of report closing ROB: …taking thirty percent.	01:00:34:15
9	Pan up on Dex	Office noise	01:00:36:07
10	OSS of Dex	Office noise DEX: Little Robby Lawson…	01:00:38:21
11	MCU of Rob	Office noise DEX: …I spent way too many nights losing my shirt…	01:00:40:09
12	MS of all three men	DEX: …playing poker with his dad at his place up on Lake Michigan. ROB: Which, by the way…	01:00:43:10
13	OSS of Rob	Office noise ROB: … would be the perfect place, for one of these stores. DEX: I hope he left you that house. ROB: Yeah, the house and the property taxes and all the repair bills...(sighs)	01:00:48:05

...and is a time consuming, nightmare of tedium. This document is the reason why I didn't get the blog up last week.

Also, last week, we had checked off of the more fun tasks of film delivery on our long list. Recording Audio commentary. Here's a shot of the ladies of the lake doing the dirty work:

(Sorry - blogger is not accepting pics right now! but just imagine, me - looking writerly (read: frumpy) sitting next to two beautiful actresses and Jennifer, with her eyes closed). Pretty sweet.

Mr. Ross Partridge was much missed but the estrogen party was awesome. It was the first time I got to watch the movie with Tara S. and Kay. Highlights included Kay sharing stories of her sunrise dance parties on the beach after wrap and Tara S. remembering her agent explaining to her that she'd be sharing one bathroom with the entire cast and crew... (which wasn't exactly true - props to T for still coming to do our little movie thinking that was the case, though!)

After all that, the movie was officially DELIVERED. WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!! That same day, we heard from Disney that everyone is very excited about our script UNPLUGGED and we'll be doing a second draft of that as soon as we get notes. I am suddenly noticing Disney Channel Movies everywhere and this week, Luna said she, "Wants to go to Mickey's house to celebrate happy birthday."

A total non-sequiter -- Luna's best sentence ever said at a Koi pond this weekend: "Bye-bye fishies! See you in my taco!"

That girl funny.

A warning: Now that The Lake Effect is delivered, this blog is officially going to be much more about writing -- and nonsense. Prepare yourself.

'What’s not boring is making shit happen.' -Graham Taylor

2011-06-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

Graham Taylor, killing it.

This weekend, Graham Taylor, the Global Head of WME, (also a brilliant, hilarious guy and a dear friend) gave the rockin' keynote speech at LAFF. He addressed the swift changes befalling the film industry and independent film, specifically, and called for the audience (and the industry) to rally. I've shared the link to his speech here - but in case you don't get that far, I thought I would share this quote:

"Apathy and Cynicism are not the parents of great art, great movies or great entrepreneurs. The day our passion and enthusiasm subsides will be the day of our undoing."

His speech resonated with me profoundly. In this business, naysayers abound. Before I ever sold my first pitch, I was told, "Pitches are really hard to sell." I hedged my bets. I had good producers and a star attached and I worked my butt off to make it perfect. One month later, I sold it. The same thing happened before I sold my second pitch and my first script.

Nothing like some early morning

cross-stitched kitten inspiration.

Full disclosure: somewhere in there, I did get apathetic. And cynical. SOOOO cynical. Anyone who's heard the story of how THE LAKE EFFECT came to be knows that somewhere in the fourth month of my pregnancy, I lost it. I quit writing, I quit the industry. I felt too powerless -- I couldn't imagine breaking another story, creating another character that would never see the light of the projector. And then I got an email from Jennifer... who was taking back control. We green-lit ourselves.

Jennifer Westin and I are now coming to a significant close on our journey with The Lake Effect. It is hard work toward the end and last week, we once again found ourselves in a post facility at 1 in the morning at the end of a 15 hour day, when I began fading. The next morning, Jennifer called to check in/apologize for the crazy late night (understanding that my child wakes at 6 AM no matter what time I roll in). And I told her that on any other night, I could be home with nothing going on, jealous that somewhere out there, some filmmaker was burning the midnight oil. Instead, all our hard work has culminated -- made us lucky enough to be facing the good nightmare of delivering our movie to a distributor. (PS: Thanks to that late night, we'll have deleted scenes and outtakes on the DVD. Weeee!!)

Again, I quote the great Graham Taylor, "What's not boring is making shit happen."

Toolkit | Graham Taylor Keynote at LAFF: 'What’s not boring is making shit happen.' - indieWIRE

GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, SOLD!!!!

2011-06-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right!

WE SOLD THE LAKE EFFECT!!!

(Cue sound effects: cheers, applause, sighs of, "Oh thank God"). A wonderful small company called Osiris Entertainment now officially owns the North American rights for the film... We couldn't be happier. It's like our little baby is all grown up, off to college to drink itself silly...
I lost the metaphor in there somewhere. Really, we're thrilled that our little movie has found a home and will be available to anyone who wants to see it!

Okay. So we sold it; what does that mean, you ask?

1) We have a street date. My movie's "droppin'" this October. So you will be able to purchase a DVD on line.

2) We should also be available shortly thereafter for rent/digital download from the usual suspect internet sites... Netflix, etc.

3) In my dream world, we'll have a cable premiere.

4) If you live outside North America, you're gonna have to wait a little while longer. We won't have news on when until our international sales agent takes us to the big TV market in fall called MIPCOM. But we have high hopes!

5) Amazingly, selling the film doesn't mean the work is over. It means a new round of work has begun for Jenn and me... and especially Jenn. The deliverables list is long and involved and I have to hand it to my amazing producer for keeping it all straight and humoring me when I whine about it. When you close a sale, you agree to give the distributor a list of "deliverables." It's an extensive list of pieces of your film that will help make up the DVD - including outtakes, separate tracks of sound, audio commentary, every contract imaginable, and insurance that covers you and the distributor in case Sally Q. Suer decides that your movie is all about her life and hires Larry H Parker to sue you for half a million dollars. (PS: haha! like I have a million dollars, do you know how little we made this movie for? PPS: I actually got sued by Mr Parker once, long story. I got out of it).

Jon Schell, magic sound man,
saving the international community
from a thin foley track.

We're also working on some of our international deliverables - which include a beefed up foley/effects track so that when they pull the production sound/dialogue to dub the movie in Italian, there will still be footsteps and door closing sounds for the Italians to enjoy.

By the way, I cannot WAIT to see the movie dubbed. When I sold my first movie, COUGARS, Sharon Stone was attached so we got a lot of press. Seeing my name in an article written in Italian was so so cool... And that was just print - to hear my film translated will be awesome - even though as a film student I was taught that subtitles are always superior to dubs... This weekend, during my sound session at Media City Sound (my favorite sound house) our sound god Jon Schell was telling me about a French dubbed copy of Star Wars that he has. He remarked that of course James Earl Jones was amazing as Darth Vader but apparently the French guy is like 98% as good: "Luke, Je suis ton pere!"

Awesome.

PS: Check out this great review that we got on our Michigan tour:

"The Lake Effect is a beautifully-shot, lovingly-constructed, heartfelt, little motion picture. It oozes warmth, charm, wit, and humor, and keeps us engaged for the full 90 minutes.... This is a movie that deserves some attention."

Moving on...

2011-06-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

So there is some big TLE news on the horizon but knowing my wisely tight-lipped producer, Jennifer Westin, I'm not allowed to officially announce the announcement until the announcement is official.
So... no news for you! YET. But oh my goodness, I promise as soon as I can open my big mouth about it, I will.

In the meantime, a quick recap of my Michigan experience:

1) It was truly wonderful to finally share the movie with all the people who came together to make the film possible. Thank you again to all the kind, talented, and generous Michiganders that made The Lake Effect possible and who turned out in droves in the rain to watch the finished product!

2) It was fun being interviewed on TV and radio but I loved Q n A's most of all - getting to talk to an audience after they've connected with the movie is really cool.

3) I was bummed to be at the lake house with crummy weather but it made working non-stop a little easier...

4) Watching an audience of strangers show up to a movie because "it sounded interesting..." and then watching them laugh and cry... was kind of amazing.

5) The whole time I was in Michigan I kept thinking: I'm ready to direct again. I gotta get moving on The Cynics! Damn damn!

Ok, so on that note (and to justify why The Cynics is being ignored) an update on what I'm working on this week:

1) We have to do some sound work on TLE. I know, you're thinking, "But I've seen the movie, it's finished!" Not exactky. For international sales, our sound specs have to be different - we need to build more foley so that when the dialogue drops out, we still hear footsteps, etc. It's a good problem to have. I want people in Germany to hear full sound when we sell them this movie!

2) Finished a first dirty pass of the Disney Channel movie Unplugged - I love that script already. I had a blast watching every disaster movie I could get my hands on for inspiration. If you haven't watched Independence Day lately, I highly recommend you DO IT this fourth of July!

2) Still working on SHORT BUS, about the couple coming to terms with their daughter's autism... The script has finally found it's stride but it's harder writing that one - heavier lifting... I did some scenes while on the plane to and from Michigan for our screenings (btw, also watched the Justin Beiber doc on the plane - highly entertaining...)

3) Meeting with Kay P about some stuff... can't say what yet but I can't not work with her on something soon.

4) A producer on an old project rang me up and said there is the possibility that they may want to take the script out of turn around (which is when the option to make the movie has expired - reverting the rights to me), which is exciting. It's a project I really love - so we'll see what happens there...

5) I have three TV pilots that are treated and need to be written. So much to write, so little time...

And so much news to share that I'm bursting! Hopefully, by next week, I'll be able to tell...

JENNNIFER WESTIN'S TOP TEN MOMENTS FROM OUR MAY TOUR

2011-05-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

We finished The Lake Effect in the fall of 2010 and have been playing festivals since then. Tara and I have been lucky enough to attend some of those fests – we’ve been to London for Raindance and Phoenix for, well, Phoenix. We’ve had amazing screenings with packed houses, but seldom have we known people in the audience. It’s a terrific feeling to bring the movie to strangers, people who otherwise would never have heard of it. As I’ve discovered over the past two weeks, it’s an entirely different, wonderful and sometimes nerve-wracking, feeling to bring the movie to people you know.

Johnny and Ross, together at last.

On May 19 we had our first, and likely only, screening in LA. The theater was packed with cast, crew, friends and family. Then last week, we held two screenings in Kalamazoo, MI and one in Saugatuck, MI, near where we shot, and not coincidentally, where I grew up. I found myself nervous for the first time in a long time screening the film. What if our fabulous editor Steve Edwards hated it on a big screen? What if Tara’s parents thought I’d dragged her to Michigan 8 months pregnant for nothing? What if my grandma didn’t get the jokes? What if my neighbor from 25 years ago said, “Oh she had such promise as a child, too bad she went into film.”? Despite my misgivings, all four screenings went WONDERFULLY! Better than I could have hoped. Below are my...

Top Ten Favorite Moments from our May Tour

-Tara Summer’s mom seeing (and liking!) the movie.

Tara S. works a lot, in fact, you can see her in a new show called THE RINGER on the CW this fall, starring opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar. But her mom still turned out for our LA screening, to see her daughter do terrific work in our little movie.

-Standing with Tara M. on the side of the theater in Kalamazoo, watching the audience watch the movie.

I’ve seen THE LAKE EFFECT hundreds of times. I don’t watch the screenings anymore. Usually I have things to do while the movie plays – set up the merchandise table, call my husband to catch up. But on the 25^th & 26^th, Tara and I got to stand (heels kicked off) and peek at the audience as they watched the movie. Seeing people laugh at a joke, or cry during the birth scene makes this entire experience absolutely worth it!

-Finally nailing the PR thing.

I am not a publicist. I have no background in marketing. The whole thing alternately annoys and terrifies me. And yet, we needed people to show up for our screenings. About two and a half weeks ago I was banging my head on my desk in LA, despondent that no one in Michigan knew anything about our movie, convinced that no one would come. I had been sending out press releases, contacting Chambers of Commerce, tourism bureaus, etc. and had very little response. Then in one day, all of a sudden, we were everywhere. We had pieces in all the regional papers, radio interviews, two TV appearances, plus local news. We had three packed houses and could not have asked for more.

-Watching actor Chase Maser come into his own.

We cast Chase when he was a senior at Portage Central H.S. in southwest Michigan. He plays the baby daddy. This was his first film role. Since then, he’s graduated, moved to Chicago, starred in 2 more movies and just booked the lead in another one. I’m so happy for him and glad that he’s taken up the challenge. I’m sure we have not seen the last of Chase.

Me, Chase, and Tara, wrapping up the run.

-Receiving a great review in the Kalamazoo Gazette.

This is my hometown paper. They did a lovely spread on us in advance of the screening, which really helped get the word out. Then they asked for a screener so they could review the movie – before the screenings. It was a risk. I love our movie, but it’s not for everyone. A bad review two days before we’re trying to sell out screenings would’ve put a damper on things. Fortunately, film critic James Sanford really responded to the film. You can read his review here.

-Appearing on a Fox 17 lifestyle show out of Grand Rapids.

Tara M., Chase Maser and I appeared on “The One Seven” with local celebrity anchor Michelle DeSelms. It was short but sweet. We got the word out and Chase got to practice for his future appearances on Good Morning America. And my grandma got to call her friends to tell them to watch her granddaughter on TV. Here’s the clip.

-Reconnecting with people that I haven’t seen in ages.

For me, the Michigan screenings were really fun because, while there were tons of people who just read about it in the paper and showed up, I also saw a number of people from my childhood. I saw old neighbors and kids I played with on the beach when I was ten. When you haven’t seen someone in 15-20 years and they make the effort to come to your movie, first, that’s a really lovely person, and second, it’s a great way to catch up...

“What have you been up to?”

“Well…this.”

My only regret is that my time to chat with these folks was so limited. But I got a lot of email addresses, and facebook friends, so now I can better keep in touch.

-Getting some concentrated time in the car with Tara M. to talk about our next project.

She and I have both been crazy-busy the last month or so and our next project, THE CYNICS, has been on hold. It will have to wait another month while Tara finishes a few writing gigs, but during our long stretches driving around West Michigan, we were able to at least re-affirm our desire to make the film, and bounce ideas back and forth. We’ll keep you posted.

-Sharing the movie with people who love the Lake Michigan shore as much as I do.

We had a couple that came to the Saugatuck screening who had read about us in the paper. They both grew up spending their summers in South Haven on Lake Michigan and were thrilled to pieces to see familiar sights on screen. In fact, inspired by the movie, they were headed to Sherman’s Ice Cream after the screening.

-Being done.

I mean this in the best sense because I’m so glad we held these screenings. But it’s really nice to be done with them. Partly because it’s been a very busy month coordinating and doing the PR and I’ve been neglecting other projects and my family as a result. Partly because they went swimmingly and I’m going to ride this wave of satisfaction for a while. But mostly because it brings me a bit of closure on the entire experience of producing THE LAKE EFFECT. Not that there’s not more work to do, there is! And not that this is the end of the road for TLE, it’s not!! But we always wanted to share the film with our friends, family, cast, crew and supporters. It’s been on my mind since we started pre-production and gathered such a warm supportive group around us. And now we’ve done it, and they liked it. I’m relieved, gratified, a bit tired but most of all thrilled.

Thanks LA & West Michigan!!!

AND NOW THE NEWS...

2011-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, So I am on a plane to Michigan this morning for our mini-mid-west tour with THE LAKE EFFECT.

Hey Michaganders: Does the state really look like this? If so, how does that
whole "point to your palm" thing work at all? How does your hand do that
top part -- wait, is that the upper peninsula??? I realize I could look all this up
but it's funner to wonder aimlessly about it here.

We'll be staying at the lake house (where the majority of the feature was shot, doing three screenings, three high school workshops, two TV appearances, and lots of driving (everything in Michigan is very FAR from everything else).

The lake.

I should also mention that we had an absolutely great screening last Thursday at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles! Thank you to everyone for coming out and making it such a special night... The very crowded house laughed, they cried... and aside from a little technical hiccuping, I thought it went wonderfully.

I will post pics as soon as I get them off my sister in law's camera (which she does not own a cable for). It may be sometime in 2012.

Ok so today - I just want to share all the Michigan news that is popping up as we get closer to our screenings there...

A great review from MLIVE:
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/05/review_lake_effect_finds_surpr.html

An interview with WMUK:
http://wmuk.org/news/?select_article=1&pkeyNewsItemID=191206

This from MLive.com
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/05/west_michigan-shot_the_lake_ef.html

Our interview with the Holland Sentinel:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/mylakeshore/x157792986/Movie-shot-in-South-Haven-opening-in-Saugatuck

Our Interview with Radio Station WSJM AM 1400...
http://www.wsjm.com/Film-Shot-Between-South-Haven-And-Saint-Joe-To-Get/9867172

This from the Western Michigan University Newspaper:
http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/2011/05/040.html

This on the Michigan Film Office's Website:
http://www.michiganfilmoffice.org/The-Film-Office/Events/Default.aspx?id=5470&d=5/1/2011

Allegan County News:
http://www.allegannews.com/articles/2011/05/19/cr_news/5.txt

....And more to come!

PRESS KIT for SCREENINGS

2011-05-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Media Contact: Jennifer Westin FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

P: 310-883-5453

E: info@thelakeeffectfilm.com

April 28, 2011

LOCALLY PRODUCED FEATURE FILM THE LAKE EFFECT TO HOLD SPECIAL SCREENINGS IN KALAMAZOO & SAUGATUCK

LOS ANGELES—Covert Productions is thrilled to announce special screenings of the independent feature film The Lake Effect in Kalamazoo and Saugatuck. The film shot in southwest Michigan in the summer of 2009 and will screen for the first time in the Midwest on May 25, 26 and 28.

The film stars Kay Panabaker from Fame and ABC’s No Ordinary Family, Ross Partridge from the Duplass Brothers’ film Baghead and Tara Summers from television’s Boston Legal and Damages.

The Lake Effect features a number of local haunts including the Heritage Guitar factory, Bell’s Brewery, and Tot to Teen Village in Kalamazoo; plus Sherman’s Ice Cream, Phoenix St. and the Pier in South Haven.

A number of the cast and crew came from Kalamazoo, including celebrated actress Sharon Williams, Chase Maser (a Portage Central graduate with a burgeoning film career in Hollywood), and a cadre of interns from Western Michigan University’s film program.

Producer Jennifer Westin, a Kalamazoo-native, was drawn back to the state by its generous film tax incentive, as well as the incredible beauty of the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. “Whenever I bring people from out of state to the beaches around South Haven, they are awed by the natural beauty of our coastline. I wanted to share that feeling with a broad audience.”

Thus far the film has won awards including Best Screenplay, Best Ensemble Acting and Audience favorite from prestigious festivals including the Phoenix Film Festival and Moondance International. The Raindance Film Festival in London named writer/director Tara Miele “a Top Ten American Indie Filmmaker to Watch.” FilmThreat.com called the film “a well-acted and terrifically realized relationship dramedy.”

The Lake Effect is a dramedy about a couple who retreats to their cottage on Lake Michigan to reconnect. Natalie’s biological clock is ticking; Rob’s resistant to change. But their holiday is interrupted when Rob’s estranged and very pregnant teenage daughter Celia lands on their doorstep. His marriage on the rocks and his daughter in need, Rob must embrace his role as a husband and father before he becomes a grandfather.

Screenings are May 25 & 26 at 7:30pm at the Rave Theater in Kalamazoo and May 28 at 7:30pm at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Cast and crew will be in attendance. There will be an Opening Night Party after the screening on May 25^th. (Tickets sold separately)

The trailer and more info on the movie can be found at http://thelakeeffectfilm.com/. Tickets are $12.50 and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com beginning May 9^th!

# # #

Please contact Jennifer Westin to arrange interviews with cast and crew.

REALITY CHECK from Producer Sara Quick

2011-05-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

First things first: If our updates and posts and twitters and e-blasts haven't convinced you already to get a ticket for this week's ONE NIGHT ONLY EVER Los Angeles screening of THE LAKE EFFECT, I highly recommend you buy your ticket!!!!!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/175430

Now onto this week's actual blog...

No one can deny that reality TV has transformed the landscape of television... As media evolves, it's amazing to me that at the root of good entertainment is still a good story. I think reality and scripted TV are more closely connected than most of us realize. With that in mind, this week's Guest Blog is from my dear friend and amazingly talented (and successful) Reality TV Producer Sara Quick...

"Beginning, middle, and end. Those are three elements that every good story has. Without them the audience is left confused, frustrated, and often wanting more. Believe it or not, reality tv is no different. Though the chaotic, seemingly spontaneous nature of reality television may seem like just a bunch of footage slammed together to simply evoke the most shock and awe, there is actually much calculation that goes into crafting story. Throughout the entire process we are all constantly thinking about beginning, middle, and end.

Sara Quick on the set of "Deadliest Catch."
Unlike scripted television, the story telling process in reality can be difficult to control. From the moment you are hired, to the day you collect your last paycheck you can pretty much count on one thing…..that everything will always change. The first step for a reality Producer is to come up with a series arc or theme for a series. Meaning, we have to decide what is interesting about these characters we're about to explore. So what should we focus on? This can sometimes revolve around a large project that the character is undertaking. In a docu-series reality show a character needs to have a goal, because just as in scripted, the audience wants to watch the character's journey. Since this is real life....the characters don't always succeed either. It's why reality tv is relevant. Life is not always perfect and neither are people. Audiences can relate to that.

There's a common misconception that reality tv is scripted and some people often scoff when I tell them I write, produce, and direct reality tv. In actuality we just write outlines or treatments. We first come up with a concept for an episode, write what we “think” will happen, and then after we shoot we then have to go back and write what REALLY happened. The art of shaping a real person's story by crafting a beginning, middle, and end is what sets the genre apart from a documentary.

As a Director/Producer it’s not my job to create the characters, but rather get to know my characters and then come up with storylines that embody who they are. I then pitch those stories to them and hope they get on board. If you don’t have a firm grasp on who your talent is, this part can be very offensive to the talent. Imagine someone coming to you and telling you how they would plan your day for you based on their perception of who you are. It’s a delicate line to walk.

Before you can create story though, your talent has to trust you. TRUST is a HUGE part of the job, and it can come in unexpected ways. On "Deadliest Catch" we had to gain the trust of some pretty salty characters in order to capture their world. It wasn’t until I accidentally fell into a crab hole on one of the boats that the fishermen and I created a rapport. I had to buy them a case of beer. (A tradition if you fall in a crab hole). You do whatever it takes.

The interesting thing about directing real people is that you can’t control how they act. They aren’t getting paid to read lines, they’re getting paid to be themselves. That’s it. That’s their only commitment. To show up. The rest is just…ever changing. It’s then our job to produce a beginning, middle, and end, and in so doing create conflict and drama.

I have to say though, there is nothing more rewarding than creating an environment for characters and to watch them blossom, and to move with them and to constantly work at anticipating their every move. It’s like a choose your own adventure book. You lay out the options, the characters chose the path, you react with more choices, more options, more environments for them to grow in. Knowing that any moment they could blow like dynamite, or simply die a slow death by being a Producer’s worst nightmare….boring."

- Sara Quick is currently a Supervising Producer on the Women's Entertainment Network show "Bridezillas." She has worked as a Producer/Writer/Director in reality tv for a decade. Her credits include; "Deadliest Catch", "LA Ink", "Split Ends", Amish in the City", "Shockwave", "Lobstermen", "House Hunters", and "Monster Garage." She and her husband own a Production Company that specializes in quality video and post-production services for reality and corporate clients. frequentflyerproductions.com

If you screen it, they will come.

2011-05-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

At least I hope that's true...

After much ado, tickets to see THE LAKE EFFECT are officially ON SALE!

To buy tickets for the LA screening @ the Downtown Independent @ 8:30pm on 5/19:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/175430

To buy Tickets for the Kalamazoo Screening @ the Rave @ 7:30 pm on 5/25 (and the after party) or 5/26:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/175604

To buy tickets for the Saugatuck Screening @ the Saugatuck Center for the Arts @ 7:30 pm on 5/28:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/175610

Cast and Crew will be in attendance for Q n A's at all screenings! Please buy your tickets ASAP to make sure that you get a seat! Our screenings are limited and we’re expecting packed houses!

NOW SCREENING!!!!

The Ticking Clock

2011-05-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Okay so because I am under the ticking clock of my child's nap time and because I have a million things to do, I thought I would give you a quick lesson on a writer's best friend, ie: THE TICKING CLOCK.

The ticking clock helps propel the story forward by giving us a limit to how long our lead has to: get the guy (or girl), win the race, or save the world.

It is summarized well by Hitchcock who called it his BOMB THEORY - wherein he uses a bomb that the audience knows about but the characters in the play do not, in order to create tension and fear:

"In dramatizing this fear, Hitchcock employs a technique he calls the "Bomb Theory." This scenario runs as follows: Two men are sitting at a table discussing baseball. They talk for about five minutes, when suddenly, there is a huge explosion, which gives the audience a terrible shock, which lasts for about about fifteen seconds. According to Hitchcock's Bomb Theory, when the scene opens, you show the audience that there is a bomb under the table, which is set to go off in five minutes. While the men are sitting casually discussing baseball, the audience is squirming in their seats, thinking Don't sit there talking about baseball... there's a bomb under the table! Get rid of it! The audience is overwhelmed with the sense to warn the characters of the danger which they perceive, and which the characters are not aware of. Hitchcock's method transfers the menace from the screen to the minds of the audience, until it becomes unbearable - at which point there is a climax. An important footnote to this theory: You must never let the bomb go off and kill anybody. Otherwise, the audience will be very mad at you."

This can work without a physical bomb, although I actually kind of enjoyed MacGruber when I caught it on cable.

In a romantic comedy, the ticking clock is often the love interest's wedding or departure. In action movies, it's the pending death of someone who's been kidnapped. In awesome eighties comedies, it's the hip hop rec center that's going to be torn down. In THE LAKE EFFECT, it's the pending arrival of Celia's baby.

Anyway, right now, Luna's clock is a-ticking and I am off to get all my work done.

TICK TOCK! TICK TOCK!

SAVE THE (SCREENING) DATE(S)!

2011-04-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Oh man, am I proud to announce that:

THE LAKE EFFECT IS COMING
TO YOUR TOWN!

(If you live in Los Angeles, Kalamazoo, Saugatuk, and maybe New York City).

That’s right – as promised, The Lake Effect will be enjoying several sneak peek screenings and you all, loyal blog readers, are invited! What better way to kick off the summer than with a movie about a summer vacation gone awry??

The lovely
Downtown Independent

So, SAVE THE DATE(S)!

TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE MAY 9th.

Here’s the info:

LOS ANGELES

Our first screening will be held at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 19^th at 8:30. Cast and crew will be in attendance with an after party to follow.

MICHIGAN

Our next screenings will be held at The Rave Theater in downtown Kalamazoo on Wednesday May 25^th and Thursday May 26^th. Again, Cast and Crew will be in attendance for the screenings and the after party (on the 25^th).

Kalamazoo's
downtown multiplex

Finally, we’re a highlight off the Lake-side city of Saugatuck’s Memorial Day weekend celebration at t on Saturday, May 28^th -- location TBD.

NEW YORK

This one is still TBD. We may do it at a cool independent cinema in the east village. Or it may just be a private screening at my pal Morgan’s house in Peekskill. Sound off if you’re in New York – if you have a theater, or can recommend a theater, or want to host a screening with the writer/director for a nominal fee, etc. etc!

I can't wait to share this film with a) all the people (I mean you, cast and crew) who made this movie the lovely little thing it is and b) all the friends, family, and fans, who've had to hear about this lovely little thing for the past year and a half.

Thanks for everything, everyone. Looking forward to sharing this with all of you!

"WOMAN! WHOA. MAN."

2011-04-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

SO just a short post today because I have a treatment due and my protagonist is not cooperating… She’s a disillusioned wife and mother who wants a divorce… Is she successful and detached? A control freak? Is she a Supermom who her husband can’t compete with? Does he cheat on her? Does she cheat on him? How in the hell will we ever like her if she cheats on him? And how, oh how, is this funny?

On Monday, a friend of mine texted me that she was reading this article in the New Yorker about Anna Faris and funny women in Hollywood... Here are some highlights from the abstract, which basically says women don’t get to be funny for a lot of reasons and that Hollywood is a total sausage fest (News at 11!):

“…The Bechdel Test is a way of examining movies for gender bias. The test poses three questions: Does a movie contain two or more female characters who have names? Do those characters talk to each other? And, if so, do they discuss something other than a man? An astonishing number of light entertainments fail the test. This points to a crucial imbalance in studio comedies: distinctive secondary roles for women barely exist. For men, these roles can be a stepping stone to stardom. On the other hand, relatively unraunchy female-driven comedies have all done well at the box office. So why haven’t more of them been made? The answer is that studios, as they release fewer films, are increasingly focused on trying to develop franchises. Female-driven movies aren’t usually blockbusters, and studio heads don’t see them as repeatable. Men predominate in Hollywood, and men just don’t write much for women…”

“What a misogynistic industry,” my pal wrote, “Glad to know that girls like you are in the ring, duking it out.”

I don’t think I can legitimately claim to be duking it out (surviving by the skin of my teeth might be more spot on) but her text made me want to just that. I know who I want my protagonist/funny woman main character to be – I want her to be a freaking mess! The truth is I’m scared to do that. Writing women to be funny is hard – women want their women empowering. Men want them sexy. I was never good at math (I am a girl after all) but I know that: sexy + empowering = not funny.

By the way, if you found the “I am a girl” comment offensive, then I’ve come to the second part of my problem. I’m afraid to make my female characters the least bit dumb! Maybe it’s because there are too many people who actually think that women have an inferior intellect or maybe it’s because dumb blondes are all over reality TV and I feel that they are already represented but if I can’t write dumb than aren’t I kind of at a disadvantage as a comedy writer?? Will Farell, Steve Martin, Steve Carrell all get real dumb in movies all the time! Why should being a chick in a mainstream comedy movie mean that you have to be whip smart, successful, and swathed in fabulous couture?

As the New Yorker article explained –

“Relatability for female characters is seen as being based upon vulnerability, which creates likability. So funny women must not only be gorgeous; they must fall down and then sob, knowing it’s all their fault. Ideas for female-driven comedies are met with intense skepticism, and it’s even more intense because Faris isn’t aiming at the familiar Type A roles played by Jennifer Aniston and Katherine Heigl. She said, “I’d like to explore Type D, the sloppy ones.”

Amen, Anna Farris!!!

God, I am dying to write a female leading lady that is as flawed and funny as her male counterparts get to be. I want to write a woman that doesn’t wear Prada heels. I want to write a woman who has let herself go and is in a dead end job and is drinking wine out of a nipple-less baby bottle because all the other glasses in the house are dirty.

That sounds like a fun opening scene, actually. Maybe I’ve found my girl. I better go write her...

RISING FROM THE ASHES

2011-04-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

So last week, in my brief post, I completely failed to mention that while I was in Phoenix, I found out that I got a gig writing a movie for the Disney Channel! This was not exactly out of the blue but it was exciting and it was… totally surreal. I got the call from my writing partner on the project, Cindy McCreery, while I was sitting in a deli waiting for a shuttle van to take me to a mall so I could scrounge up an outfit for the Phoenix Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala. (Do male filmmakers feel the need to dress up for this kind of thing? Do any filmmakers? Alas, I did and so I confess that I spent day 1 of the Phoenix Film Festival shopping).

Anyway, this is how things happen - you push and push and push and PUSH for years to make a dozen projects move an inch and then suddenly, something just zooms to the finish line while you’re having tuna salad in a deli in Phoenix. You gush quietly in a corner that you get to write something you like and get paid and get benefits and you gush that somehow by the skin of your teeth you’re keeping the dream alive and you wonder if you shared your good news with the guy behind the counter if maybe he would give you a congratulatory hug… And then you call your husband. And your last producer. And your mom.

Am I alone in thinking that there's
something sexy about projectors?

That DC news carried me through the length of the festival, through the nerves introducing THE LAKE EFFECT to packed houses, through the technical difficulties that led to late starts, re-starts, late nights in the projection booth, and one-time awful DVD projection… through the panels that made me self-conscious and the panels that had me in stitches… It also carried me through the horrible bronchitis I contracted while running amok in Phoenix! Somehow, all the excitement comes with a price but did I let my bronchial infection stop me from enjoying free drinks and good company of other filmmakers? Heck no.

pre-sick, SOLD OUT!

Alright so maybe I should admit that by the time the awards ceremony came around on my last night at the fest, I had to drag myself out of a sleep stupor in the hotel room to make my way to the filmmaker’s lounge. And maybe I sounded (and looked) something like Bea Arthur. Luckily, my lack of respect for illness paid off. The Lake Effect took home TWO awards from the Phoenix Film Festival! The first one they announced was Best Ensemble Acting and I was (to put it mildly) giddy. I am so incredibly proud of the cast of TLE and want so badly for their amazing work to be seen and recognized… I thanked the festival and skipped off the stage to text Ross and Tara and Kay all the good news. I was still texting them in fact, when I heard another presenter up on stage quoting something I half remembered saying on a panel earlier that week… I can’t remember now even what it was… something about “We had this location and I thought, ‘Damnit, now I’m going to have to write a script…’” all I know is that when I heard it, I thought, “I might be winning an award right now… and can I can get this text out before I have to get up there…?” The answer was no.

Still texting...

Winning the Best Screenplay award was shocking. And thrilling. And appreciated. Though I have to admit, accepting an award for my actors was so much easier… I know they deserve it. But my relationship with writing and with everything I’ve ever written is… complicated. Believe it or not, writing is pretty thankless (which is why I officially dedicate my Best Screenplay award to every writer who has ever written a screenplay that has not been bought or lauded or produced… it’s hard out there for a pimp). So being up there on stage, being recognized for screenwriting was… about as surreal as finding out that I just landed a sweet gig writing for Disney Channel while waiting for a shuttle bus and eating tuna salad at a strip mall deli in Phoenix. I still don’t think it’s quite hit me. But I’m waiting for it to do just that. And when it does, I will let you know how it feels.

#WINNING

In closing, BOO to technical difficulties and bronchitis. YAY jobs, awards, and the Phoenix Film Festival!

Film Festivals Make Me SICK.

2011-04-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Seriously. I'm totally sick. I'll blog all about Phoenix as soon as I'm well.
Jennifer Westin insisted that I at least say this: "WINNING!"

GETTING IT OUT THERE.

2011-03-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

A quick recap of our biggest screening yet.

So last Wednesday, the Phoenix Film Festival was kind enough to fly me out for a preview screening of THE LAKE EFFECT for the Phoenix Film Society. (Tomorrow, I will be flying out again for three more screenings for the actual festival which you can book tickets for HERE). Angelinos, I’m not kidding – drive out! We have a screening Saturday night at 8 pm! The Cinematographer and I will be in attendance!!!

I didn’t know what to expect in Phoenix. But when I arrived at the airport, there was a driver and that was nice. And Jason Carney, the lovely Director of the festival took me to happy hour with some of the festival staff and that was great, though small… I thought, cool – met some nice people and we’ll have a small screening – not like I had an opportunity to advertise out here…

But then we headed over to the Harkin’s Multiplex...

Phoenix Film Fest's
suhweet venue

...where a huge banner advertizing the Phoenix Film Festival draped down the three-story glass window front… the place was BIG. HUGE. Still, I figured – maybe they have a tiny theatre they’ve reserved for us somewhere in the back…

But no. The theatre was… a real theatre. Stadium seating. Like the Grove. Big big. And it was packed. With strangers.

my public. (ha!)

All a director can ask for is a full theatre. And on this night, I had it. Bill Goodykoontz, the film reviewer for the Arizona Republic was kind enough to introduce me (this was my first brush with a film reviewer – which made me nervous – but thank god Bill had viewed and loved the film).

me and Bill G.

I don’t know if people know this but usually during screenings like this, even if the director or cast is in attendance, they don’t stay and watch the film. They go to dinner.

So after we introduced the film, we went to dinner.

Afterwards, Bill moderated the Q and A. And much to my surprise, people stayed – they commented, they had great questions. The most difficult one by far was from Bill himself. He said, “Is it hard for you to know that you’ve made this great thing and that it’s not getting out there?”

Honestly, in that moment, standing in such a big theatre I kind of felt like saying, two things: 1) I made something great? You think so? Thank you! ...and 2) “What do you mean? It’s out there! It’s here, isn’t it?”

I answered that we our domestic producer’s rep is confident that we’ll find a distributor soon and that we’re literally dotting the i's on our deal with a soon-to-be named international sales agent so the film should be released later this year…

But Bill’s question resonated on a much deeper level and deserved a truer answer.

The real answer is: Oh god yes, it’s so hard! So hard that we haven’t had an LA screening! My family, my friends, my crew… no one has seen this movie yet! And even though I am moving on and working on other things – I feel like this baby is not yet born. It’s so hard that we aren’t in theatres, on air, on the internet… out there. Yes yes yes. It’s hard.

BUT!

I’m off to Phoenix again tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to our three screenings over the weekend… because even if it’s just in small chunks… we're getting it out there. AND – here’s the real news:

We’re planning screenings for NY, LA, and the Midwest.

STAY TUNED!

Travel, An Artist's Best Friend.

2011-03-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

So this morning, I am blogging from a toasty fire-lit cabin in freezing, snowy, windy, gorgeous Mammoth, California.

Snow snack.

I spent the past two days traipsing through the 100 inches of snowfall with my baby in her (ridiculously adorable) marshmallow snow suit and snowboarding (read: slipping and sliding and huffing and puffing and falling a lot) down the Sesame Street Trail at Mammoth Mountain with my husband and sister in law, Rachel. Half-time included hot chocolate at the lodge, after which we attempted an intermediate slope and then scurried back to where we were more comfortable... Sesame Street. Ah, the irony.

This trip almost didn't happen. Between writing and the baby and writing and the baby, it seems like it is never a good time to take a few days off. Plus, I have deadlines, dinners, looming assignments... How can I afford time to unwind when I barely have time to get wound up?

The truth is that escaping LA is good for me and it's great for my writing. (Side note: being "an artist" is a great excuse for so many things -- Brett: "Tara, you're so messy!" Tara: "Honey, I'm an aaartist."

But seriously, some of my best writing has been done in the strangest places: I re-wrote the entire third act of COUGARS on a beach in Thailand. I finished the first draft of COVER YOUR ASSETS in a bizarely decorated apartment in Beijing. I'm hoping that next week while in Phoenix for THE LAKE EFFECT's Phoenix Film Festival press screening (PLUG!), I'll finish my ever evolving treatment on THE CYNICS. I can not understate the importance of getting out of the city once in a while. Not only is it good to re-charge your little Energizer bunny battery but escaping your normal surrounds and changing your scenery forces you into the moment, which as an artist is... key.

On the road. Seriously, we drove here.

So, this weekend in Mammoth, I am convening with these things called weather and nature... "the elements." We don't really have these things back in LA, which most of us Angelinos justifiably cite as one of our finest features but I must say, I think "the elements" are good for you (in small, weekend-long doses). They're humbling. You have no choice but to keep it simple when you're confronted with an enormous gust of blowing snow (anyone else ever notice how porno sounding weather lingo can be? If not, click here.) The enormity of the weather here is a reminder to me that the world is big and that I am small and that is a relief. Witnessing the intensity of these "elements" first hand also reminds me why big SUVs exist and why people the world over don't drive Priuses. (Prii? What's the plural of Prius? If you comment with the answer, I'll send you a prize.)

Really, though, getting out of your comfort zone just shakes you awake a little bit. When you're surrounded by brand new stimuli, it makes your brain engage in a way it just doesn't do when it's sitting at your same old desk, staring at your framed THE LAKE EFFECT film poster (Send me $20 plus shipping and handling and you can have your own stunning TLE poster to stare at!) It can stimulate new ideas and crush writer's block like a tiny ant.* So get the hell out of Dodge, Writer-Readers, it's good for you... and your Prius.

There's a Prius under there somewhere.

*Note to Producers/Studio Execs/Financiers reading this: I never get writer's block and I won't run off to a foreign country if you hire me.

'You Gotta Ask yourself, “Do I Feel Lucky?" Well, do ya, Punk?'

2011-03-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

In honor of St. Patrick’s day, this week’s blog is dedicated to LUCK.

The Irish love Jameson
and paperwork.

A few fun facts:

1. I am OFFICIALLY an Irish citizen. Luckily, my great grandmother made it to her homeland in time to have my Grandfather back in Limerick and luckily the Irish government started a citizenship program for descendents of Irish citizens born overseas and luckily the Irish Consulate put a rush order on my application so that I could get Irish before Luna’s birth, which means she is officially Irish too.

2. The phrase “the luck o’ the Irish” is supposed to be ironic. Think about it: the Irish have been invaded by the Vikings, the Normans, and the Tudors, they get hit by the potato famine, then they finally get to America and are treated like dirt… the Irish are infamously UNLUCKY.

3. I almost led this blog off with a quote from Falcor the Luck Dragon but then I realized that Dirty Harry is Irish! His name was Harry Callahan! When I shared this revelatory information with Brett, our conversation went like this:

Tara: “Hey, Dirty Harry was Irish!”

Brett: “Of course he’s Irish. He’s hot headed and violent, what did you think?”

Don’t grab your bats just yet, Irish brethren. Brett knocking the Irish (and the Italians) and me knocking the Armenians is like the sit-com runner in our house. I often ask where he lost his goats when he migrated from Glendale and whenever I see a Kardashian on TV, I exalt to him, “Honey, your people!”

Okay, so now back to the luck.

Today I lost my cell phone. Or it was stolen. Or both. I left it on a counter at a coffee shop and some lucky guy found it, pocketed it. Buh bye, iPhone 4. Rest in some dude’s pocket.

So that was bad luck.

R.I.P., my beloved.

So after my (what turned out to be quite expensive) morning meeting, I drove home angry. Like a bat out of hell. And yet, I made it home in one piece.

So that was good luck.

In an attempt to unwind, I went for the wine and realized that we are out of wine. Out of wine! That has never happened in this house!

So that was unlucky.

But then I found some Grey Goose in the freezer.

So that was lucky.

...The truth is, I don’t believe in luck. Luck is for wusses.

At one point early in my career, I was at a networking event where I screened my short film SMACKERS and expressed frustration with how hard the journey was. A bushy tailed young actress promised me that all I needed was a little luck and that it was sure to find me soon. I told her that I’d been busting my hump for years and that when I finally “made it,” it would have absolutely nothing to do with luck.

So here I am ten years down the road of this journey. And on this week…

I am waiting to hear back from one cable network about a feature writing gig. I am waiting to hear back from a second cable network that may or may not purchase a script I wrote years ago. I am waiting to hear back from our domestic sales agent on The Lake Effect to see who will be premiering the movie this year. I am also hustling my butt through two feature scripts and a pilot that I really believe in. Something has got to hit. If I throw this many things at the wall something is bound to hit. Right?

Maybe I just need a little… LUCK.

Erin go bragh, y’all!

It's ALIVE!!!

2011-03-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

THE LAKE EFFECT is getting out there. And I have proof!

Last week, for the very first time, The Lake Effect enjoyed a screening that I was not able to attend. It took place at the Omaha Film Festival (Thanks again, Omaha!) on Thursday night. People came, they sat in the theatre, and they watched The Lake Effect… and afterwards, two people (who are not my mom) posted on our Facebook page: “Well done!” and “I enjoyed the film!”

I have to admit at first I was taken aback. My first thought was: “Who are you? And how did you get a copy of the movie?”

And then I realized that they had seen it in Omaha, where the film was off doing its thing… without me.

It’s so cool.

Okay, so you may be thinking: “Two guys commented on your Facebook page and you’re writing a whole blog about it? That’s excessive.” I was about to change my topic to “Luck and the true meaning of Mc Donald’s Shamrock Shake” but then I got an email from another viewer (again, not my mother) who enjoyed the film and that clinched it. The film is receiving unsolicited responses from pleased viewers (plural!)

The Lake Effect screened
in a far away land, called Omaha.

I should acknowledge that THE LAKE EFFECT has been seen by other people when I was not present: festival programmers, sales agents, distributors, etc. But that’s a little different because those are people from whom we are soliciting a response. For better or worse, they have to respond – its their occupational obligation. There is something special about the lovely moment when you’ve almost forgotten that you’ve created something that exists out there in the world and you hear that someone enjoyed it while you weren’t looking... and without being asked.

Once in a while, I meet a development exec at a party and they realize that they’ve read a script of mine that’s come across their desk, or I meet people who say they’ve seen Smackers. When I was interviewing for my first job with writer/director/actor Mike Binder – he looked over my resume and saw my short film, MISS GENTILBELLE way down on the bottom and said, “You directed that? I’ve seen that!” I thought he was mistaken but no. As it turns out, my Assistant Director on the film was a family friend of Mike’s and had shown him the film. Thank god he liked it.

Still from my matricidal
student film,"Miss Gentilbelle"

It’s “so nice” (my daughter’s new catch phrase) that your work can introduce you to people before you have the chance to introduce yourself, that it can speak for you, and reach out to people you might never have the opportunity to reach out to. That’s the whole point of putting it on celluloid (er, I mean digital file) right?

When I was in college (Go Gauchos!) and doing theatre – I directed my first one act (David Ives, anyone?) and it was sensational (or at least I thought so and some of the 200 audience members who witnessed the event were kind enough to perpetuate this belief). A week after the show closed, however, I realized with a heavy heart that that was it. The show had flashed in the pan and then it was over. This of course, is part of what makes theatre so magical. It’s that fleeting, temporary, get it while the getting’s good nature of the beast that we love to feel a part of.

But as a director, I hated that aspect of theatre. I wanted to create something that would stick. Something that would last forever… So in my artistic quest for immortality, I began making movies.

Strangely, there is a side effect to making last art that I couldn’t have anticipated. Having a film out there is almost like having a little piece of you roaming the earth unsupervised… it’s like I’m sleepwalking, going places and doing things I don’t remember… it’s just like those films where a detective is hunting down a murderer and then they discover that the murderer is them! Alright, maybe not exactly like that. But it can be mildly disconcerting when people know your work before they know you. It can make you feel exposed. It’s like they’ve read your thoughts… or your blog!

Really, though it’s still an amazing thing to think that my work is doing what it is supposed to do… getting out there, reaching out to people I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to touch. I’m very much looking forward to this happening more once the movie is on TV, On Demand, and the internet. I hope that more strangers will find and fall in love with THE LAKE EFFECT.

TO DO: Buy Groceries, Win Oscar.

2011-03-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

This week’s blog is dedicated to… The Aaaaahscars.

Hello, Lover.

It’s not an infrequent thing for a family member or friend to call me around Oscar time and declare, “I can’t wait until you get your Oscar! Are you going to thank us? Can we come?” I would bet that almost all of my filmmaking friends have heard the same thing from their well-meaning loved ones… No pressure.

Of course, WIN AN OSCAR is on my short list of Things To Do. Of course it is! Isn’t it on everyone’s? …No, I guess it wouldn’t be. Honestly, though - I think “Win an Oscar” would be on my list even if I sold insurance for a living.

I have to admit, I didn’t really get to “watch-watch” the Oscars this year. My husband is out of town on a shoot and some friends convinced me that I could bring my delightful 19 month old to their place for a viewing party and so… when I wasn’t pulling Luna down off the coffee table, I was yanking her fingers out of someone’s 7 & 7, or prying her fingers off the volume knob on the receiver…

Despite my daughter’s lack of interest in the show, I did get to see Anne Hathaway sing (because it made Luna stop doing donuts around the coffee table and clap, “Singing!”) and Melissa Leo cuss at the crowd in the balcony. I even got Luna home and in bed in time to see Natalie Portman gush about her newest and best role (pretty Mama) and Colin Firth do his wonderfully understated, fabulously dry British comedy thing.

I love the Academy Awards. I love the movie montages that remind me of what this medium is capable of, I love the appearances from the Old Guard that remind me that making movies makes us a part of history (at least Film History). Then, in no particular order, I love the dresses, the gushing, and the crazy actors. I don’t mean to dismiss the crazy – it’s a close bed fellow with genius and actor-crazy, specifically, is so darn fun and exuberant - unlike writer crazy which, while equally self-destructive is all defeatist and internal and not nearly as fun to watch.

I have to admit that over the past few years, my love of the Oscars has waned along with my belief that I would one day be accepting one. “So sad!” you say! I know. It’s totally depressing. I sell a script, I’m in the guild, I make a movie, I am in the industry! Amongst winners! Getting screeners of the Oscar Nominated films! I’m closer than ever and it’s almost like the Oscar is an illusion and the closer I get, the further away it seems.

Despite all this, and - let's be honest, perhaps because of all this, I'm keeping WIN AN OSCAR on my To Do List. My belief that I might actually do it is part of my director brand of crazy. Believing in the impossible and then motivating to make it real is exactly what it takes to get a movie made in the first place. And I’m a believer. Call me a deluded dreamer, but I may just have an Oscar in me yet.

Go Trojans!

2011-02-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

Swag mug. Nice.

I'm a Bruins fan by default. My husband went to USC and my daughter was born at the UCLA medical center. Despite this loyalty, last night, Jennifer Westin and I headed to USC on behalf of one of our THE LAKE EFFECT interns, (the very talented, very smart, very lovely) Arielle Zakowski, to speak to her film fraternity.

It was a fun, casual event that preceded their monthly meeting and served two purposes: to inform the undergrads about what it means to be an independent filmmaker and to remind us of how good and bad and crazy and silly this roller coaster journey is.

We answered questions about a wide range of stuff - everything from international distribution to YouTube to directing and micro budget filmmaking.

One of the most interesting moments came after a question about the path for a writer/director right out of school. While we discussed the benefits of shooting a short film and developing a feature script, one student asked, “What did you see as the benefit of submitting your short to festivals versus just putting your short on youtube?” I had to explain that when I shot my last short, we didn’t have YouTube!!!! HA!

It's amazing and exciting how quickly things are transforming. Thanks to the internets, these guys have access to truly independent distribution. They don't need a festival to get 90,000 people to see their movie. That's awesome. Things like that will determine the future of our modes of entertainment and the students we spoke to last night will determine what film will transform into in the coming years. (When I mentioned that I'd be begging them all for jobs in ten years, they laughed because it's true!)

The very last question of the night was: If there is one thing that you’ve learned that you wish you knew when you started out, what would it be?

My answer was: When an investor wants to give you a million dollars for your movie, take it – don’t haggle over a piddily script option price, just smile and nod and go get a job at Mc Donald’s if you have to support yourself during the two years you’ll be committing to making your first movie.

I believe Jennifer's answer was:

If you already know specifically what you want to do (i.e. write half hour sit coms) be ready to be hired by graduation day. She encouraged students to spend this time getting their feature script or their reel or their TV spec scripts ready to go.

On our way to the car, though – we both thought of a truer answer to that question.

I wish we had imparted to the group that there will be so many times that you feel like you are on the verge of making it. You set bars for yourself – “If I sell a screenplay, get an agent, make a movie… then I will have made it.” So you do it - you sell a screenplay, you get the agent, you make a movie… and then you need to sell that movie. You need to write and sell another screenplay, you need to manage your agent (or get a bigger one), you need to finance another movie, you need to sell that movie… In other words, you have to KEEP making it.

Despite the stories we read about someone getting their big break – those big breaks happen after years of little breaks and lots of pushing. This might sound daunting but the challenge is part of what all filmmakers love. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Luckily, we’re not a group that hunted down this career because it’s easy.

Thanks again to Arielle for having us out and to the great group of students who came to listen! Hope it was as fun for you as it was for us.

For the benefit of the students, I’m re-posting my short SMACKERS, which is now on You Tube, here:

And here’s the trailer that Arielle cut for us for THE LAKE EFFECT:

2011-02-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

Some good news…

The Lake Effect is screening at The Phoenix International Film Festival!

I am really excited about this fest because: it’s is a great festival and it’s close to LA – so those Los Angelinos who are highly motivated could even DRIVE THERE!

There will be three screenings between 3/31 and 4/7 but we don’t have dates yet… you’ll know as soon as we do and then you can start planning your caravan road trip adventures!

For more information, check out the Phoenix Film Festival here!

So, today, in honor of Phoenix and filmmakers from Arizona, I’m giving a shout out to my very talented filmmaker friend John Humber, who directed a wonderful film called DAKOTA SKYE that happened to premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival a couple of years ago.

John was such a fan of the festival, he told me that, "Out of all the festivals we took DAKOTA SKYE to, the Phoenix Film Festival was certainly the highlight. The crowds, the staff and the fellow filmmakers combined to create an experience I'll never forget."

Just like The Lake Effect, Dakota Skye was shot on a low-budget with a minimal crew and (like the Lake Effect hopes to do) has garnered an incredible following and fan base. And just like The Lake Effect, it was shot by my ridiculously talented husband Brett Juskalian.

So while you’re waiting for THE LAKE EFFECT to be released, you should check out DAKOTA SKYE! It’s is available on-line (See, it takes a while but these movies get out there eventually… The Lake Effect will be available some day, mark my words!)

Here’s the trailer…

To find out more (like where you can see this movie, check out their facebook page!)

Lastly, I’m not kidding about the caravan thing… we hope to see you in Phoenix!

Oh and one more thing - if you were following the blogs about my week assistant directing and posting the Pioneer/Pandora spot, Pioneer has officially launched the campaign. It's hilarious - Check it out here!

Barry.

WE'LL FIX IT IN POST.

2011-02-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

When a script is not quite there, we say, "We'll fix it in production." And when a production goes awry, we say, "We'll fix it in post." I'll never forget the day that I heard a producer look at a terrible cut and say, "We'll fix it in marketing."

One of my mentors, the late great Bruce Paltrow, once told me that control goes back and forth between the director and the network or studio on a show. The Studio has control when you're working on the script, the director gets it back on set, and the studio gets it back in editorial... He actually told me that a smart director shoots a scene so that it can only be cut one way. He was kind of awesome that way.

Luckily, I have never had to guard my footage or fight tooth and nail for an edit... I've always worked with collaborative producers who challenged decisions but never demanded final cut of a project.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of helping out my good buddy Zack Mathers while he was editing the Pioneer/Pandora commercial that I assistant directed last week. ADing and helping with editing don't usually go hand in hand but that's besides the point. Working on this edit, I was reminded of how much I LOVE editorial.

This is actually Zack helping me out on TLE -
he would only do it if I brought Luna to visit.
Scroll down for video.

Say cheese, Steve Edwards.

I have fond memories of sitting with The Lake Effect's devoted editor Steve Edwards, working to juxtapose reactions and insert shots to create something evocative or funny or surprising that was nothing just a moment before. The editing room, for me, is often where I feel the most magic. It may be because writing is theoretical and directing so damn tangible... Editorial is like being able to see the forest through the trees. I often find myself in the editing room singing, "Making lo-o-ove out of nothing at all!" Who sings that, by the way? Is that Meatloaf? My Dad loves that guy...

Anyway, editorial is a magical place for a director... or at least it is for me. It's the final stage of writing, a place where you figure out what you've got and somehow manage to create what you need... because despite Bruce's old school wisdom, there is never just one way to cut something.

PS: Here's spot 1 of 2.

PIONEER PANDORA 2011 - 60-SEC Jogging Spot NAVI from Frequent Flyer Productions on Vimeo.

Assistant Directing, the other white meat.

2011-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so today I am on a commercial shoot for a Pioneer Electronics/Pandora spot that my good friend, the uber talented Zack Mathers is directing/producing under his banner Frequent Flyer Productions. Three twelve-hour days on set will be a nice break from baby care and writing.

I’ll be updating throughout the day, unless my blogging threatens to get me canned in which case I’ll be blogging at the end of the day after I’ve gotten call sheets out for tomorrow.

Quick note about Pioneer/Pandora: Pioneer apparently has developed a sick car stereo that plays Pandora anywhere and has a screen that you can manipulate the stations just like on your computer. For a long detailed article on that, click HERE.

10:02 - got off a fast morning of running shots with our lead Amber - listening to Pandora on her Iphone... car dolly with steadicam op sitting in back. beautiful light...

Off to shoot some interior car shots - functionality of the radio.

OKAY, lunch - made our morning. And received a short bus that was delivered for tomorrow...

We're shooting this whole thing on the Canon 7 D with available lights and a few reflectors/bounce cards. It's unbelievable how good it looks. Granted, it helps to have a crew who knows how to use it and equipment that enhances it...

3:09 So now we're shooting all the interior car stuff - grabbing three different radios and all sorts of functionality - which is actually making me want one of these radios - you can do you tube, facebook, blue tooth, pandora. I am a commercial for this commercial.

7:22 - wrapped a few hours ago - went great! and I am wiped... we made it home just in time to read the little one her bedtime stories. It was great working with my friend Zack - a director who knows what he wants/needs and doesn't over shoot out of fear! And of course, it's always nice working with my husband - we haven't spent this much time together in too long.

Here's some screen grabs...

i'll post a link to the commercial when it's done!

ROSS PARTRIDGE'S SUNDANCE BLOG

2011-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ross Partridge rocking the red
carpet at Sundance 2011.

Ross Partidge, the amazing leading man from THE LAKE EFFECT, was kind enough to guest blog this week from the Sundance Film Festival, where his latest film, THE OFF HOURS is premiering... Enjoy!

Ross:
We screened my film, THE OFF HOURS, twice thus far. I play a truck driver named Oliver, who is not sure of the direction of his life after his marriage is ailing and his quest for higher meaning lands him the job, which is much different then what he use to know of his life, as a banker. People really like the film. I love it. I think it is is amazing and really special. It is dark, moody and like a Tom Waits song… very still.

So we had the premiere and now that it is on the table we have much anxiety about whether or not the film will sell. This is the unfortunate part(often fortunate) of all the great honor and thrills of being at Sundance. “Will the film sell?!” becomes the Elephant in the room. In everyone's room. THE OFF HOURS screened really well. People were moved and really taken about how cinematic it looks and feels. They are calling it a throwback to some of the older films at Sundance, those shot on film with higher budgets. We will know more by mid-week and hopefully we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

Kay (Panabaker, who plays opposite Ross in THE LAKE EFFECT) and I have exchanged messages a few times and are trying to get together for brunch. I will take a photo when the family is back together again. In the meantime, I am standing in line for Kay's film, LITTLE BIRDS. It is completely sold out and the buzz here seems to be that the film is one the attracts a really broad audience. Apparently so, because getting tickets looks nearly impossible. Great for Kay, not great for us.

Kay P and Juno Temple
in LITTLE BIRDS

Tickets at Sundance are so nearly impossible, at first, unless you get them early or buy a very expensive badge. The actors themselves usually don’t even have tickets to give because the producers are hoping to get as many buyers, distributers, agents, and press people as possible in to see the film. Since we don't have a ticket to Kay’s film, we are standing in line with 100 other people in the wait list line. The frenzy for tickets is out of control and although films are most always sold out, somehow you manage to get in. Earlier, we actually tried to sneak in to the theater because I really want to support Kay(my only daughter). We were hovering in the fire escape stairwell, trying to scalp a few tickets, when we got busted by festival volunteer who was escorting out James Franco. They were really great about it and laughed as well. It is an amazing adventure and for the most part people who come just love it. It’s like Mardis Gras in snow…

The partying here is out of control. The streets are packed with on- lookers and paparazzing hoping to get a glimpse of a star or two. There are thousands of young woman and men all carry bags from gifting suites- shoes and jackets and hats. More shit then most need or want but it seems the frenzy to have free shit infects everyone here. I think there are many people who come here just to party and have no interest in film. I admit...I have gotten a few things here and there. as we do press lines and photos shoots, sometimes they say come here and take you into a room supplied with sponsorship swag. it is wild. In fact, if they really wanted to give things away here to the "artisits" here they should hand out bags of groceries because it is very expensive and most artist are struggling to eat at the fest.

Oh Sundance.. No other place like it. Two feet of snow, too much alcohol, great friends and fun and great film… and no sleep. It is an amazing experience and so very lucky to be part of it.

10 TIPS ON HANDLING NOTES AND THE INEVITABLE RE-WRITE

2011-01-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Say what you will about strokes of genius and the image of a writer, possessed, slamming away at his typewriter until the last page of his/her novel is whipped out with an exhausted and proud flourish…. but writing is re-writing. Or as Ernest Hemingway put it, "The First Draft of Anything is Shit.”

A comic (Zack Galifinakas maybe?) had a great bit about getting studio notes that went something like this. Producer, “He’s wearing a hat on page 2 and then he eats rice on page 37… does that really make sense?”

I admit, I’ve gotten some bad notes in my time. One producer, I won’t name names, was infamous for receiving a script on his desk, weighing it in his hand and saying, “It’s too heavy – too muc ink on these pages for a rom com!” I wonder what he does now that everyone is reading scripts on their Kindles and Ipads? By the way, because of this producer, I developed a staccato style of action-line writing and always attempted to keep my dialogue under three lines. Oye vey.

Okay, so I also have to admit, in the spirit of full disclosure, that I’ve been a horrible recipient to notes in my time. Protective of my poor fetal scripts, I’ve seen collaborative input as a hostile fire and shot back with as much defensive artillery as my inexperienced little ass could muster.

It’s not easy for writers (as they will surely take great pleasure in telling you). You create this world and these characters from nothing… from a dream, from a spark while you were walking the dog and you nurture them on the page for (potentially) years of your life and some producer comes in and says, “Yeah it’s great, now change it.”

This gets easier over time or maybe with age or confidence in the process, in your work… There’s a fine art to caring deeply about your work while allowing others to contribute to it. When you do find that balance, a notes meeting can actually become collaborative – where you are riffing off of the producer and coming up with new stuff on the spot… impressing them with your quick creative wit and spontaneous generation of fixes, new scenes, and solutions!

10 TIPS ON HANDLING NOTES AND THE INEVITABLE RE-WRITE

CHOOSE YOUR PRODUCER WISELY. Firstly, it helps if you work with people you like and respect and who like and respect you. This is almost impossible to do all the time so at least make sure you’re working with people you think are smart and will help make the movie good.

The newly covered title page of my pilot script.
Note in the lower left: "Hooker Scene - Trim?" Ha!

OPEN YOUR MIND. Come on Young Jedi, we’ve all seen the scene in Star Wars where Luke is trying to learn to use the force and he’s all resistant and then finally he gets it. It’s like typical first half of Act two stuff… Skip it in your own narrative… Just open your mind to the fact that these people are supposed to be your Yoda and listen -- they may actually have wise things to say.

TAKE NOTES. This sounds like a no brainer, right? You’re being given notes so you should take notes… but I think sometimes writers leave a meeting without writing down nearly enough about what’s discussed and inevitably find themselves at home (er, Starbuck’s) unable to remember half of what just happened.

Let’s assume you did take notes…

LET IT SINK IN. Don’t rush home and pop up final draft and bust Act One wide open. You’re going to have some re-breaking to do, which is going to cause some unraveling… So re-read the notes. Re-read your script. Rinse. Repeat. Take a day (assuming that you are not being paid tons of money for a last minute polish on a 100 million dollar script that is about to shoot in say… Fiji – btw, if you are, congrats on that).

MAKE A PLAN. I do this on paper – on the actual script, usually. I add notes to the notes. I get creative all over the damn thing – answering questions, plotting out arcs, new scenes, dialogue snippets. It's less intimidating if I'm not typing it.

CULL IT DOWN. Sometimes after a particularly creative notes session, there will be too many ideas on the table – some of them may be contradictory, some just won’t work. Sometimes, what works out loud doesn’t work on the page - A Producer’s great pitch rings false or derivitive or just not funny… At this point, you make choices. The producers hired you (hopefully) because they trust you to make it all work… So make it work by choosing which notes enhance the script and re-thinking or ignoring the ones that don’t.

PLOT IT OUT. At this point, if I’m doing a pretty big re-write, I go back to treatment. Sometimes I do this at the front of the draft that already exists but sometimes cutting and pasting the scenes that worked back in can get confusing. Regardless, I start from scratch and build it back up.

DON’T THROW OUT THE BABY WITH THE BATHWATER. Even with a page one re-write, there is probably a lot that you loved about a project (you hope) that should survive – at the very least, the crux of the story? The spirit, the thing that made you care about these people in the first place…? Unless of course one of your notes is “There’s no story,” or “We don’t care about these people.” Then you're screwed. ...I kid.

KNOW WHEN TO SAY WHEN: Sometimes notes just suck. An Executive is guessing at what their boss will want or they don’t really get what you’re doing and they’ll give a broad, unnecessary note like, “The main character, that guy who saves puppies for a living, he just doesn’t seem likeable.” I once added to a character description, “We can’t help but love this guy,” just to avoid that note. A friend of mine went one step further. She took the note with a smile, waited three weeks, turned the script back in with no changes and they LOVED it.

DON’T BE PRECIOUS: Don’t go into the hole and shut everybody out. Call the producers if it will help to throw ideas around. If you don’t want to do that, call a buddy. If you don’t have a buddy, go to the gym and chat up the person on the treadmill next to you… a work out will clear your head at least. And then, as the late, great Bruce Paltrow used to tell me, "Get your ass in the chair and get the pages out!"

If it helps, remind yourself that when you turn the new version back in, in all likelihood, there will be more notes!

FINDING YOUR VOICE

2011-01-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

The first question that people ask when I tell them that I am a filmmaker is: “What kind of films do you make?” You might think that this is a simple question because the answers (potentially) are short. “I make political documentaries.” Or “I do thrillers.” But this is a big, meaty, existential question. What these people are asking is probably the hardest and most fundamental question a filmmaker must answer (after "How do I pay my rent?"). When someone asks: “What kind of films do you make?”, they are really asking, “What kind of stories do you want to tell me?” They are the Caterpillar and you are Alice and they want to know, “Who are you?”

With Luna, then 5 months,
recording my Voice Over for
THE LAKE EFFECT

Finding your voice as a filmmaker doesn’t necessarily mean boxing yourself into a genre. But it is important to understand that with each film that you make, you are building a body of work and you are building a career. Defining your voice not only helps executives and collaborators understand your vision, it helps audiences know who you are so that they can more easily come along for the next ride. Most importantly, by exploring your own voice instead of trying to impersonate other directors, you can create truly original work.

Now, by default, in the beginning of my career, I started writing female leads and by default I started writing about romance (I was 22 when I began this journey and boy problems were tantamount). After several romantic comedies, I tried my hand at an indie script in the hopes of directing it. Indie in my mind, meant edgier, darker… drama. My indie script turned out to be a dramedy. I couldn’t help it… I try to write drama and the “edy” sneaks in. In fact, when something is funny, it’s the only time I really know it’s working.

So it would seem a simple answer at this point. What kind of films do you make? Indie dramedy! But after surveying my slate (see Blog #8) which now includes several more broad comedies and romantic comedies, as well as a few more TV comedies, I have to admit that the comedy is a common thread, as is thoroughly flawed lead characters, redemption, and a lot of heart.

So, as I embark on my next filmic endeavor, I find myself still pondering (re-pondering?) what my answer is to the “Who are you?” question. For a while the answer was "Romantic Comedy" then it was "Strong Female Driven Comedy." Since THE LAKE EFFECT it’s been “Indie Dramedy.”

Perhaps there is some happy marriage between these things. Trumpets please as I announce that I make "Character Driven Comedies!"

Alas, it's not as exciting on paper as it sounded in my head.

The truth is, I am still finding my voice as a filmmaker. I think I will be for the whole of my career – seeking out nuances, trying to be honest with myself and not just emulate the filmmakers I respect.

One thing I do believe is that if you’re not in a constant process of discovery, you will stagnate. So be honest, make mistakes, and trust yourself... And to find more articulate information on how to find your voice from people who have done it themselves, see:

Director Jason Reitman talk about Finding the magic:

http://www.depauw.edu/news/?id=25005

Colin Firth find his voice in: The King’s Speech, (which is rightfully up for a whopping 7 Golden Globe nominations) http://www.kingsspeech.com/

#16 RESOLUTE.

2011-01-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

As the late, great Michael Jackson said, “This is it.” I believe when Michael said, “this,” he was in fact talking about 2011 and when he said, “it,” he meant GO TIME.

You heard it here first: 2011 is go time.

According to my friends’ status updates on and around New Year’s Eve, 2010 will not be missed. Granted, 2010 did not greet me with job offers galore or send me diving into gold coins like Scrooge McDuck but personally, I had a pretty great year watching my baby grow into a toddler,

moving to a new part of the city, hopping to some great film festivals… To boot, just before the end of this complicated year, Jennifer Westin called and told me some of the nicest news a filmmaker could hear. Apparently, I’ve been named one of the Top Ten American I ndie Filmmakers to Watch by the prestigious Raindance Film Festival! So, happy 2010!

Alright, so in honor of being named one of the Top Ten American Indie Filmmakers to Watch (Beware, I’m going to use that phrase as often as possible… at drinks meetings, baby birthday parties: “Hi, this is Luna and I’m one of the Top Ten American Indie Filmmakers to Watch!”) I’ve decided to kick this wicked cool year off with my own Top Ten list.

Here are…

TARA’S TOP TEN RESOLUTIONS TO BECOMING
A BIGGER AND BETTER FILMMAKER IN 2011
(ALSO, WHAT A LONG A TITLE THIS IS)

10) Get another film in the can, namely The Cynics, which has yet to be written. Watch out though – it’s top of the list this month… even though it’s number 10.

T. Summers in
The Lake Effect

9) Collaborate with all the talented artists around me. I’m coming for you, friends. By the way, speaking of ridiculously talented people I’m lucky to know – The Lake Effect’s very own Tara Summers is going to be on ABC’s Private Practice this Thursday, January 6th at 10 pm! Watch and be amazed. Tara is gorgeous and talented and is one of the reasons that THE LAKE EFFECT turned out to be so lovely.

8) Watch more films by amazing directors. I’m going to pick one director per month, watch four of their films, do some research on their process at the nearby Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and then blog about it.This month, I’m thinking James Brooks because he’s a writer/director, he’s epic, he’s funny, and he’s someone who does dramedy right (eg: Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, and As Good As It Gets) and his new flick HOW DO YOU KNOW is still in theaters.

7) Create for the web. I’m totally eager to explore the web as a new format for storytelling. If anyone needs one of the Top Ten American Indie Filmmakers to Watch to help them write or direct some webisodes, you can find me here.

Chase Maser plays the guitar
as "Jace" in The Lake Effect

6) Start playing the guitar again. As a writer, it’s good to have a habit (er, hobby…) that clears your head and doesn’t involve caffeine, drugs, and/or drinking. I had been learning to play guitar when I got pregnant and started work on The Lake Effect… Despite the fact that there are lots of guitars in the film, a year and a half later, my poor Yamaha acoustic is gathering dust. But this year, my baby’s demands for me to, “Strum! Strum!” will be answered.

5) Read more. I mean news, reviews, articles, etc. That’s where my best inspiration has come.That and from my crazy family and friends, which brings me to…

4) Spend more time with my crazy family and friends (and convince them that their lives should be fair game for me to write about).

3) Read the trades (or at least Deadline Hollywood) more. Once a week. Okay once a month… at least.

2) Get a steady writing gig! Seriously – this little writer needs to support her indie film habit which is why when I’m not scribbling this blog, I am busy scribbling lots of words on pages intended for the television. Hopefully, I will land a sweet gig on a TV writing staff and you will be able to see my name on the TV screen sometime this year, which brings me to…

1) Get The Lake Effect to a screen near you. Be it movie, TV, or laptop. You wanna see this movie? In 2011, you will!

#15 IMPROV AND THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT

2010-12-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so one of my favorite actresses (who also happens to be one of my best friends) was in LA recently working with me on THE CYNICS. We were brainstorming her character (a wise-cracking, recovering alcoholic bride-to-be) within the treatment and she reminded me about my favorite theatre game in the world. The “YES! And…” Game.

The improv game "Yes And" follows a vital rule of improvisational theater: Never deny your fellow actor.

So Actor 1 and Actor 2 are on stage and Actor 1 kicks off the improv with:

“I’m so glad we started this toilet paper company together.”

Actor 2 supports and adds to this idea: “Yes! And I love that we decided to call it ‘ASSWIPES INC.’”

Actor 1: “Yes! Everytime someone sees me in the street now when they yell, “’Hey ASSWIPE!’ I know they’re talking to me.”

And so on.

It keeps a scene going (Yes! And…) it keeps the energy going, (Yes! And…) it keeps the ideas flowing. (Yes! And…) It makes me happy.

I mean, really us writers can be so negative. Heck us people can be so negative. Imagine the lost potential if Actor 1 had said, “I’m so glad that we started this toilet paper company together” and Actor 2 had responded, “No we didn’t.” Game over.

I think all writers should practice the “Yes. And…” game, even if it’s in their own heads – especially when breaking a story. It’s perfect for comedy because it helps you top the top. Let’s imagine… your lead character is in an interview with his zipper down (YES! And…) He shakes his hips to emphasize that how excited he is about the job. (Yes! And…) His Superman underoos peek out!

I would imagine that it would work for drama or horror – There’s a killer on the loose. (Yes! And…) She’s is a little girl. (Yes! And…) She’s a dead little zombie girl! (Yes! And…) She likes to eat her victims! See how fun this can be?

Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig playing the
"YES! And..." Game in A Christmas Carol

I propose that this holiday season, everyone tries to play the “Yes! And…” game at least once. When your wife recommends that you wake up at 5 am to open toys with the kids, try shouting with glee, “Yes! And I’ll put on my Star Wars Christmas in the Stars Christmas record!” Perhaps she’ll catch the spirit and reward your positivity and energy with her own resounding “Yes! And I’ll spike our coffees!”

Happy Holidays from THE LAKE EFFECT family to yours.

YES! And… See you in 2011!

#14 Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes

2010-12-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

Luna teeny tiny baby booties need replacin'.
It's time to make some moolah.

So, as I may have mentioned, The Lake Effect is looking for a sales agent. In our hot pursuit, I had to get a screener to a company in Santa Monica on Friday. With no babysitter and no runner, I loaded Luna up and hit the road.

I buzzed the office from the street and let Luna press the button for the elevator. I prepared myself for the confused looks from the people working the front desk. Babies and work places just don’t go together, it seems. I didn't anticipate that the front office of this company would have glass walls, so that when I walked in with Luna on my hip, we had a nice little audience.

Now, the term “deer in headlights,” is overused... but I would argue it's for good reason – we shot THE LAKE EFFECT in Michigan, where I witnessed a deer in headlights for the first time and they really do just stand there, staring at your approaching headlights with this wide eyed gaze... anyway, in the spirit of Michigan I think it’s appropriate to use the overused metaphor here. The office workers just gaped at us like deer in headlights. (A side note to this side note, when I arrived in South Haven after a three hour car ride from Detroit, I commented on the high number of dead deer on the highway. Our intern Liz, smiled and said, “Oh, those are our welcome signs.” How I miss our smart-mouthed Michigan interns. Especially when I have to be my own runner.)

Right, so I walk into the office with Luna on my hip and the whole office just stops and stares at us like (all together now) deer in headlights.

I smile and hand the manila envelope over to the guy at the front desk. “Hi, I have a drop off for Joe Sales Agent.”

“Thanks.”

I wonder if they think I'm a runner and doing some sort of take the kid to work day. I check in with Luna, who is returning the office workers’ wide eyed stares. “Say buh-bye.”

“Bah-bye.”

And then the stunned deers’ faces thaw out into awed smiles. They are still cooing, give cutesy waves as we leave.

I let Luna walk down the hallway holding my finger and there's just something about how it's all working out that makes me feel so peaceful. Like whatever this sales agent says or whatever happens with the movie is exactly what should happen.

After promising Luna that she can press the elevator button, I say, “You know what, Luna? This right here is one of my very best moments ever.”

#13 Write the Trailer

2010-11-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

So after a fun family-filled holiday weekend, I am always raring to get back to work and get pages out. Of course, there are lots of steps that need to happen before I get pages out – brainstorming, character development, treatments… I thought I would share one of my favorite writing exercises with you all.

Basically, I write the trailer for the movie I haven’t yet completed the script for. For me, as a director/writer - I dream visually, so it helps to do this before I’ve finished all my scene breakdowns and character development. If I can create poignant glimpses into the story for a two minute teaser, it helps me stay on point through the rest of the work. It helps me visualize what Act Two is all about. It’s also a great reminder that (duh) the film has to be compelling: dynamic in the individual moments as well as in the big picture.

I actually pulled out the trailer script to THE LAKE EFFECT when we were cutting the trailer after the movie was finished to remind myself what I originally felt were the trailer-worthy moments in the film – what would bring people into a theatre?

Anyway, here’s a rough trailer script for the CYNICS. Hope you enjoy it!

BLOG # 12 AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

2010-11-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

T-minus two days to GOBBLE GOBBLE!

This year, my husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving, which means we’ve spent a fortune at Trader Joe’s, we have a turkey bathing in brine in our teeny fridge and I have to clean the house… Giving thanks is a lot of work.

It’s true, isn’t it? Giving thanks is a lot of work. It’s so much easier to complain! (And often funnier. See Seinfeld.) We’re champs at seeing what’s missing from our lives, seeing the lack – whether it be time or money or love or a flat screen HDTV (Now you know what to get me for Christmas).

We filmmakers are especially guilty of this. We kvetch that there’s not enough time or money, not enough crew, not enough light… While I was making the most money I ever made as a screenwriter, I opined the lack of creative control, the lack of respect, the lack of time to focus on my other projects.

Appreciating the good stuff is just… harder. For some reason, it takes a concerted effort to see what is right in front of us.

I love Thanksgiving (minus it’s perverted neighbor Black Friday – sometimes I swear we’re living in some dystopian future out of a Margaret Atwood novel). But I digress (shocker); in the spirit of the holiday, I’m cultivating an attitude of gratitude, focusing on the abundance instead of the lack. There’s so much to be thankful for! (I just burst into Dr. Suess book writing – Eye Book, anyone? “So many things! Like rain and pie and airplanes way up in the sky!”)

Beyond the obvious: I have a roof over my head, a devoted husband, a beautiful child, a loving family, and the best friends… I am thanking my lucky stars that Producer Jennifer Westin gave me the chance to make The Lake Effect. I’m grateful for the cast and crew who gave their talents and tireless efforts to put the story on the screen. I’m grateful for the family and friends who enabled me (as a new mom) to get the film through post and out to festivals. I’m grateful for the awesome responses we’ve received from audiences…

The list is endless: I’m not making porno (nothing wrong with porno, just glad I’m not making it), I’m not pregnant (Again, nothing wrong with being pregnant, just not ready for #2 yet.), and you are reading this right now… thanks, you!

Hope you’re inspired to see the good stuff this Thanksgiving weekend... CHEERS!

BLOG #11 The On-line Debut of my (old but so good) short film SMACKERS!

2010-11-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Pucker up, people. It's Smackers.

So my bigtime Producer just emailed me reminding me that that I have a blog deadline looming and although she was aware that this blog would be dedicated to the online premiere of my short film SMACKERS, she kindly suggested that maybe I could mention some topics that are trending to move my blog up up up on the search engines and out of the small circle of my friends who are kind enough to read it.

I thought, "Sure. No problem. I'm all about trending. Trending and transmedia and social networking. Look out future, here comes a girl who wore a rainbow belt with a Smurfette buckle halfway through the eighties."

I figured I could throw some casual references to current events and/or popular people into today's blog and reach millions. Easy. Peazy. Then I googled "trending."

Here's Google's list of what's trending at 8:52 on Monday November 14th.

Steve Smith

Niciolas Cage

Ravens vs Falcons

Latin Grammy

Cruise

Soros

Android Gingerbread

Missile

Los 4.2 release

Garfield

Effing Garfleid? WHAT?! No Thanksgiving? No Harry Potter? Maybe I don't understand what trending is. I admit it - I barely have time to brush my teeth let alone my hair. I have a precious hour and a half to write during naps and then another hour after bedtime IF I skip washing the dishes. I'm a mom! Keeping up with a fifteen month old who can stand on chairs and unpack a toy box in under 10 seconds is donkey bonkers. By the way, all you mom bloggers who seem to have time to make sugar free organic carrot cupcakes with bunny ears and then write about it, what are you snorting???

I don't even have time to look all the trending things up to find out WHY they're trending.

So I ask you, readers: Is Steven Smith a football player? Did Nick Cage get arrested? What kind of Cruise is in the news - Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruise, Booze Cruise? I was so curious about Adroid Gingerbread (a new edible robot perhaps?) that I learned we'll soon be using our phones to pay for things - Not sure yet if it lets you pay with rollover minutes.

Okay - so this brings me to the long overdue reason for this post.... sharing SMACKERS - the first short I ever wrote and directed. It enjoyed a very long festival run back before VIRAL had anything to do with the internets... but it is super duper viral.

Clocking in at a mere minute and a half, Smackers parables the downfall of Junior High royalty. Hopefully, it'll give you a good quick laugh at your desk this morning.

PS: If you like Smackers, please PASS IT ON. Share it. Re-post it, blog it, tweet it, like it, digg it, book its face.

My dream is that Smackers is seen by more people on-line than it ever was in a theatre and then it can show up on a trending list and confuse the hell out of someone else. :)

BLOG #10 FRIENDS AND FILM. THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS.

2010-11-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

So this week, I was given a powerful reminder of how affecting film can be and also how very talented

and amazing my friends are.

Last week, my friend Zack Mathers created a video of his sister shaving his mom’s head. Zack’s mom Rene is fighting cancer. Even the rough cut of this video had me racing to find the phone in tears to call Zack to tell him how beautiful it was – how touching and funny and inspiring… how he had captured his family at a crossroads, facing their battles with laughter and love… and I was desperate to see and hug them all. My words can’t compare to the actual work, so please take a second to check it out.

Mom's New Haircut from Frequent Flyer Productions on Vimeo.

Then on Saturday, my friend Lynette Howell had the LA premiere of her Oscar-buzzed-about film Blue Valentine and I was proud as punch to be there cheering her on from the red carpet to the after party. I can say again, even the rough cut of this film was a marvel – but now that I’ve seen the big beautiful final version flickering up on the screen at Grauman’s, I promise that it is worth all the buzz and it is worth all the many many years she fought to get it made. (A side note: The MPAA has given this intimate portrayal of a marriage falling apart an NC 17 rating; meanwhile, the most violent films are given PG-13 ratings. Our American hang-ups about sex and our comfort with violence is another blog altogether, so I’ll just quote Amy Poehler and say to the MPAA, “Really?!”)

Here’s the link to the Blue Valentine trailer on Itunes.

Finally, last week, my phenomenal cinematographer husband Brett Juskalian was in Vietnam shooting a music video for a Vietnamese boy band. He sent me a clip of the shoot on a night that I was feeling really low because he knows that I am a complete freak for dance videos, dance movies. I had a copy of Girls Just Want to Have Fun on VHS that I watched so much, the tape finally snapped sometime in the late nineties. Anyway, watching this Vietnemese boy band do a hip hop dance off with girls from the future in front of their cryogenic time machines was AWESOME. Film doesn't have to change the world to change your world if just for a couple of hours or a moment.
Here's the vid:

If that doesn't work, here's the link to it (my lack of tech savvy will not stop this blog from being posted on time!)

So basically what I’m saying is I have really cool friends (and an extra super cool hubby).

No, that’s not what I’m saying. I mean, yes they are cool but more importantly, these people (and so many more of the ridiculously talented people in my world) remind me what this funny little thing called cinema is capable of. Whenever I’m sitting at my desk scribbling away through a nap time and feeling thoroughly disconnected from the Universe, these people and their greatness remind me why I’m doing what I’m doing. They inspire me to be my best self and my best artist.

I hope to reach all of you with more of the work that they helped inspire soon.

Maybe next week, we’ll do a revival of some of my old short films while we’re waiting for The Lake Effect to bubble to the surface.

Stay tuned!

Blog #9 Guest Blog from Producer Jennifer Westin

2010-11-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all, in my next guest blog I promise to back track and give a bit of insight into the producer’s story behind The Lake Effect but this entry will be a bit of a tangent. Hope you’ll come along.

Today I’ve been wondering if going into film producing was the wrong thing to do with my life.

Before we get all Xanax, let me explain: today is Election Day here in the States and while the country debates the future of our education and health care systems I’m looking at examples of DVD box cover art. I’m a fairly political person, or at least I care a lot about the social and financial challenges we face. Which every election cycle makes me ask the question—should I be doing something more…Significant with my life?

I bat around the idea of becoming an errand girl for the Sierra Club or delivering water for Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. But then I realize I’ve come to a place where my skill set is pretty specific. I don’t know anything about water safety or medicine or saving jellyfish (other than I support all those things).

And then I remember the other side of the coin—art is significant. True, it’s not as necessary as clean water, but historically once a society has got the basics under control, they start creating art. They need the water to live, but they live for the art. Yes the world would have survived without 500 Days of Summer, but it was very funny and sweet. Which leads to the two great potentials of Movies as Art: entertainment and social commentary (best done together!). When times are tough, people need diversions. You get great 1930’s comedies like Bringing Up Baby and great 2009 comedies like The Proposal. The incredible reach of cinema makes it a powerful instrument.

And it is exactly that reach that gives social commentary films such power. There’s nothing quite like a great film made at just the right time to kick off a necessary society-wide discussion. And so in honor of Election Day (and so I don’t have to change career paths) I give you:

Jennifer Westin’s list of the 10 Best Social Commentary Movies of All (my life) Time.

Philadelphia—quintessential Hollywood at its best. Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington confront homosexuality and the AIDS epidemic. With stars that big, the whole of America had to pay attention.

Do the Right Thing—race relations in the troubled 80’s in Brooklyn. Spike Lee depicts how things can spiral out of control on one hot day.

Three Kings—my generation’s war movie. Ironic, sad, funny, a little sexy, David O. Russell picks apart the first Gulf War.

District 9—sci-fi parable with an anti-apartheid message in last year’s wonderfully inventive South African indie.

Heathers—classic critique of 80’s Me Generation values, Shannon Doherty + Christian Slater + Winona Ryder = a wicked dark comedy

Boys Don’t Cry—Kimberly Peirce’s harrowing drama tells a real-life story to spark empathy for its tragic subject and gender identity issues.

WALL.E—Pixar’s brilliant dystopian children’s story has dark undercurrents for the parents.

Boyz in the Hood—stark tale of an urban ghetto in LA, John Singleton’s first feature shed light on how tough it was.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner—not made in my lifetime but remade in my lifetime (Ashton Kutcher & Bernie Mac anyone?) so this classic about liberals confronting their hidden racism slips in.

Safe—one of my personal absolute favorites, Todd Haynes’ movie starring Julianne Moore as a detached housewife with mysterious ailments touches on Virginia Woolf, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and loads of feminist theory.

Notes on the list:

-Of My Lifetime: Arbitrary? Perhaps but if I didn’t limit the possibilities somehow there’s no way I could choose just 10. Plus I’m partial to my generation and didn’t want to make an All Vietnam War movies list.

-I didn’t include any movies based on novels because someone would surely write “Hey, that’s based on a novel” in the comments section. But that did knock off a lot of great ones (Blade Runner, The Hours, Children of Men)

-I didn’t include any documentaries because they are so often social commentaries that they’d take over the list.

-I didn’t include TV because it’s outside the scope of this blog (until we run out of movie stuff to talk about).

-I’m a child of the 80’s, sue me.

Final Disclaimer: There are plenty of great ones that I haven’t seen or am forgetting or that I personally just don’t like. Leave your suggestions in the comments.

BLOG #8 “Hurry Up and Wait”

2010-10-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is the portion of our program where we wait. Just like in production where we hustle through rehearsal and then wait for the lighting crew to get the set pretty, or in post where we hustle through the edit to wait for the clip to render (I hate that spinning beachball soooo much)…

We have hustled to get the movie done and into the hands of some sales agents… and now we wait to hear back and see if we can marry up with the right company to sell this film.

So what’s a filmmaker to do in these oh-so empty moments, when the film is out of your hands? I spend time with my family and friends, I catch up on the news, I fill out my absentee voter form (VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!) and I watch movies and tv shows that I’ve neglected… and then I come into my messy office and I look up at my white board – which is covered with a slate of projects. If those projects are ever going to get as far as The Lake Effect has, I’ve got to get a move on.

Here’s the breakdown:

THE CYNICS:

I’m excited to say that Jennifer Westin and I have had so much fun working on TLE together that we’re teaming up on a second project, (which, really, I should be writing instead of blogging about). It’s still in treatment form but it’s shaping up to be a fun and funny ensemble comedy about love and friendship. It’s loosely based on my childhood friends, actually – a group of complete assholes, whom I love dearly.

STRONG ISLAND:

This one’s a TV pilot that I’m penning with my very dear friend and amazing comedy writer Cindy McCreery. Seriously, that girl funny. Can’t tell you much about that one yet except that it’s set on the south shore of Long Island where I grew up and it’s cast of characters include some colorful Italian Americans that may be inspired by my family. (Are we seeing a pattern here of me raping my real life for content? Beware ye close to me, lest you get immortalized…)

PRUDE:

Prude is actually a script of Cindy’s that she’s considering letting me direct. It’s a very funny take on high school sexuality – sort of like a female American Pie. Genius.

LOVE IS REAL, THE MOVIE…:

This one’s simmering on the back burners. It’s about a documentarian documenting her dysfunctional love life. I have toyed with the idea of doing this as a cumulative webisode series, playing the documentarian and shooting half the movie on my webcam. Maybe the back burner is the wrong place for this one…

TITS:

Ah, Tits. This is an oldie but a goodie. It’s a dramedy about a typical teenage girl struggling to grow up in a near-perfect suburban world when she realizes that only one of her boobs is growing. This film has had actors and financing come and go – it only needs like a half a million dollars and a name actor to be the best thing ever.

And last but not least… UNTITLED TV SPEC

I’m working on a Modern Family (I know, I know, “Everyone’s doing it.”) But I straight up love that show. I’m convinced that the creators snuck into our house and took notes on my husband while crafting the character of Phil. Anyway, finding a home on a TV staff would be very cool. There’s so much amazing creative work going on in TV right now, it’s a great place to work on character driven stuff, and you know that what you’re writing will actually be seen! What more can you ask for? Plus, baby needs a new pair of shoes and I hear TV jobs come with these things called paychecks.

So what’s the trick to maintaining sanity while waiting to hear back from that agent/ executive/ sales company…? Keep on keeping on. Attack that to do list with your whole heart. Dive into that new project head first. Also, it doesn’t hurt to listen to McHammer radio on Pandora. Nothing inspires me to “move it move it” like early nineties hip hop.