Warm Locales

I dream of being able to take my production company on the road and escape the northern winters. Since Illinois provides a lot of incentives for filmmakers, it's a great place to shoot---in the summer. Once weather turns chilly though, it's much more difficult. Going south would provide more varied scenery and better yet, nicer winter weather. Finding myrtle beach sc beach rental property to house everybody, and take advantage of the beautiful seaside location would be awesome. I think I'm going to check it out for next winter.

First Time Animation

There aren't many things I can say I'm doing for the 'first time' anymore. At my age I've tried just about everything. At least it seems that way, but I have completed my very first animated film. It's super short, but wow, there's a lot that goes into even a simple animation. I'm always up for a new learning experience though, so it was a great adventure, and I look forward to creating more as time goes on. Here's the kid's short I did yesterday.

On the Move

Even though I am self-employed and work from home I often have to travel to get things done. As a writer I have to make my work visible so I get out to writing conferences and do book signings--once in a while. I used to do them a lot more, but the internet has changed the face of self-promotion in many, many ways, most of them good. It has cut down a lot on the need for promotional touring. With social media the way it is, you can be out in front of the people 24/7, and you can get close and personal with fans in ways that was never before possible. However, there is still a need for travel in this high-speed internet world. Some things cannot be done online. I still go to conferences and for my film work I attend festivals and also have to take meetings that sometimes take place clear across the country. Many of the film festivals I attend or have films entered in are local enough that I can get to them by car in a few hours, but the big ones are usually nowhere near home. They involve a traveling hundreds, even thousands of miles and I am not going to do that by car, and sure can't get back home to sleep in my own bed at night. Even though many meetings can be held online today, in the world of film it is still often necessary to have face-to-face meetings. Of course, being in Chicago isn't horrible for filming, there is a bustling film industry that is alive and well here, but the big guns are still mostly on the west coast, so it's become quite customary to hop a plane and spend a few days in the glare of the Hollywood lights. Yeah, I know, so sad... like I don't love every minute of it. LA and the surrounding area is probably one of my favorite places on earth, but I have to get there. Now this is where I truly thank the heavens for cyberspace and the internet. Never has it been easier to get the reservations I need both at hotels and on airlines, and while the internet has made it easier and easier--now with smartphones--wow it's lightspeed easy. Once you download the to your phone, you are just a click away from any reservation you need no matter where you are. I can be talking on the phone with my agent or a production company secretary setting up the day and date, and clicking away on my app to make the flight and hotel reservations all at the same time and I don't have to be anywhere near my computer. Oh come on now, there are times I am nowhere near my computer. I've actually set up meetings and completed all the reservations required to get there and stay there while standing in a supermarket aisle. I love the modern age. It has made so much come true for me as far as my dreams and aspirations go, and it has made getting there as simple as picking up a phone.

Crazy Days

I have been so busy working on my new film that other than doing my daily writing I haven't had time for much else. You sort of get a tunnel vision going on during those times, then when it's all over you wake up, sort of like from a dream and think who are all these people and what is going on here. Okay, it's not that bad, but wow do I have a lot of catching up to do on housework, yardwork and just a little relaxing and unwinding. Here's a still shot from the short film I'm working on. Imagine ME only 4 inches tall.