I’m working on convincing myself there is one. When you’ve spent the past 3 months of almost every waking moment in someone else’s world thinking someone else’s thoughts and its weird to come back to your own.

So 10 things I plan doing to prove I have a life after rewrites.

1. Sleep in.
2. Hang out with friends.
3. Make stuff that’s not words.
5.Drink less coffee and more tea.
6. Hang out at the Art Museum.
7. Spend more time with my fam.
8. Read books that don’t have anything to do with the dirty south or broken families. So like, a lot of scifi that’s been piling up on my reading list thanks to a guy named Tim Swezy.
9. Watch cartoons. Adventure Time and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends to be specific. Thank you Netflix.
10. Write something I’ve never tried before, like a radio play or a comic book.

I was going to vlog this update but apparently my office eats SD cards….anyhow, good old words don’t fail me now.

The past couple weeks have been critical to the planning stages of the film, a lot of absolutely AMAZING opportunities have arisen but also some relatively complicated well, complications. Without getting into mass amount of details (because they’re boring, tedious, and lack waffles) TLFD’s production has been bumped up to Spring 2013 so we can put the absolutely best film up on screen. The Avengers are still assembled and we’re adding pieces to the puzzle every day. No one has quit, no one has died, and we all still like each other (what are the chances ) Having the opportunity to mold and shape the visual elements over the next couple months will simply up the ante. The goal all along as been to blow minds. Just wait until you see what we have planned. Its a slow burn, akin to Winter’s Bone + an honest depiction of grief and growth. TFLD’s in itself is a film about growing up and learning to understand people in all their messiness. TFLD is growing up and I couldn’t be more proud!

So what does this mean for all you awesome  people who backed TLFD on Indiegogo? Your funds will be secured in a bank account exclusive to the production, and will only be used for the film, you have my word on that. As for the perks, all perks not dependent on a completed film will be sent out no later then Nov. 2012, so keep your eyes peeled for emails concerning t-shirts sizes and the occasional inquiry about mailing addys. This is still gonna be an absolutely FANTASTIC film. This movie is a work of heart and its not going away. We will continue to update the FB and official website with all the exciting news that’s flowing in concerning new people coming on board and all the grand scheming we’ve pulled together for TLFD’s release and distro. Mucho AWESOME all the way around.

Now…you may be wondering, “Well MJ what are you gonna do for the next 7 months with all that spare time?” HA! Spare time? Nonsense.

That brings me to EXTRACT, the ultra collab between Torey and I. High concept sci-fi at its grittiest.

Torey caught the Directing bug and ran an indiegogo campaign back in April to snag gear so she could shoot her own films, she had gear, I had a story and apparently know how to write. BOOM. EXTRACT was born. We’ve been scheming hardcore for the past 3 weeks, rewrites galore, basically building a ‘Verse where High Tech meets Low Life. The punchline MJ? Yeah we’re shooting in August, releasing no later then Jan. 2013 and the TLFD backers have first dibs on its release.

I happen to be INSANELY STOKED about this project. Sci-fi has always been *MY* Genre, gets my brain and heart pumping. Its the genre of What Ifs? Exploring impossibilities that are still somehow based in a grain of truth that rings home to the world that’s already established today. EXTRACT is going to be thought-provokingly BADA**. We’ve got an incredibly talented group of people together to rock this thing, some of the MJ Slide Old Guard + plenty of new faces. Its gonna be an intense two days of shooting with all manner of action and intrigue.

 

We’re still making movies Yo.

PS: EXTRACT FB page and official website coming soon!

 

 

 

You reflect. Make smart decisions, tough ones, ones that want to break you. But you move forward. Always move forward. We are moving forward. With your help. I make movies. We make films together. Its a team effort, a collaboration between the storyteller and the audience. One is nothing without the other. THOSE LIGHTER FLUID DAYS will get made. I promise you all that.

For every new film project I take on I update my headshots before and after the production. Strikes me as interesting to see if there are any differences. There are always are. But anyhow, here are the new ones.

The title of this post is a rather casual one and for good reason. Its been a long journey this past year, part of me wishes there was a way I could erase large chunks of it but with that said I feel like I’ve finally settled inside myself. I’m restless for life and continuing to grow but not the gut-wrenching angsty sort of way (thank god for growing up) Its refreshing and has really allowed me to focus on the great things that have been going down.

My latest short film GONE FOR THE DAY just had its premiere two nights ago. Exactly a year and three days after my debut short THE SAVING hit the big screen. It was amazing, super engaged audience, everyone laughed at all the right parts (phew) and many folks who had never actually watched an indie film before enjoyed themselves immensely. Three personal goals checked off. I was sitting near the front sending the the projector and DVD player evil looks so it wouldn’t freeze up and felt a sudden wave of pride come over me. The venue was nothing glamorous, a narrow back room of a nifty local coffee shop complete with bean roaster in the corner.

but as the pews filled with familiar and not so familiar faces I realized this is what movies can do, bring a community together, to laugh, educate, and ask questions. We had a fabulous freebies table in the back which highlighted many of the talented individuals involved in getting this quirky dramedy to the screen. Business cards (check out GFTD’s official one sheet’s designer Tim Swezy ) posters, stickers, and postcards for indie films as far away as Seattle and Jersey City, not to mention a local web series taking on Norse Mythos in a way that’s already starting to raise some eyebrows. It was a of cornucopia of awesomeness and it got in the hands of people who are interested in quality work. I couldn’t have asked for more. People watched indie film and they were excited about the possibilities of discovering more. In less then two hours the seeds were planted and if Gone For The Day’s facebook page and my twitter feed is any gauge they’re already ready for more.

Of course I was asked many times “So what’s next for MJ?” That’s an incredibly broad question. I have so many neat projects brewing!

Marketing Consultant for The Upstate Youth Film Festival, inlcuding on-site PR liason during the fest.
The Seattle True Independent Film Festival Student Film Block Promotional Coordinator.
A full time PR position for a local ice cream shop beginning March 1st.

Massive progress on my feature film screenpaly JERSEY NOISE which is in Month 9 of rewrites.
Two possible collaborations for short films with local Directors.
The first draft of my post-apocalyptic 35 minute short entitled SERIAL 56 (think THE ROAD meets MINORITY REPORT) which I hope to shoot next Fall.
Assisting with a Middle School film class in June.
Two HUGE super secret projects (one that will be revealed within the next week or so) that involves a bit of traveling and continuous steps toward world domination, you know, no big deal

Looking at the list I can’t help but grin. Not a thought in my mind concerning bordem, I’m booked solid and couldn’t be happier. I’ll keep writing, creating, collaborating, and learning. Just the way it should be.

Its been a little over a week since I wrapped Gone For The Day, my latest short film project and its taken me about that much time to process the whole shabang and gather my thoughts.

I’m not even going to try to fight the sentimentality. Much like one’s first love, nothing will ever replace the experience of your first film but the thing about love/filmmaking is, well at least I feel it should be this way, is it grows, matures, learns from its occasional rash decisions and comes out the other end of whatever ordeal wiser for it. I’m dreadfully thankful to say that couldn’t be more true of my second go at directing.

The genre of GFTD was a total departure from THE SAVING, I went all dramedy borderline rom-com, compared to THE SAVING’s psychological thriller mindfrakk pace this was a walk in the park. In all honesty it was a breath of fresh air for my heart and mind. If any of you have read samples of my work you guys know the vast majority of it is dark introspective soulful stuff so GONE FOR THE DAY’s playful storyline and easy going romp-in-the-park sorta pace was far from the norm. So much so when I let a my best friend read the first draft she accused me of the story not being my work because it was “too adorable.” All that to say the tone is lighter but the inspiration behind it was very concrete. Pulled from personal experience to write the character’s fleeting interactions and leave the audience feeling charmed, hopeful, and (fingers crossed) thankful for the relationships that come and go in their lives.

That last sentence sums up what I want my filmmaking experience to be for myself as well as for those who I’ve worked with. I’m a firm believer in the idea that there should never be room on set for Divas. Not even the Director. As the youngest person on set excluding our female lead (which always seems to be the case on

my films) finding the balance between being in control and making sure my vision for the film is carried out and stepping back and listening to advice and letting people do their jobs is always an interesting one. One of the most encouraging things someone said to me after we wrapped was simply “The maturity that you’ve achieved in just this one year is huge and profound.” The speaker was on set for both THE SAVING and GONE FOR THE DAY, hearing those words lit up my heart.

I step back now and safety say THE SAVING was a controlled train wreck of a production, the film was completed, made it to its destination but lets just say sparks flew, things got blown up and had to be roughly welded back together. It was an extreme learning curve where the mantra “fake it to ya make it” couldn’t have been more true.

The fact of the matter was, on GTFD I didn’t have to fake it… you know, as much I had done “that directing thing” and while it will never become old hat having one film under your belt really shows you the important things and in the end, its what’s on the camera and the memories your cast and crew walk away with that count. My goal was to have everything run smoothly and keep everyone happy. And oddly enough I’m pretty sure I was able to do just that. There were plenty of hiccups along with way (the props bag and half our female lead’s wardrobe got caught up in a PA’s bag that wasn’t coming back to set and lived a good hour away.) I attribute the smoothness of the shoot most wholeheartedly to my absolutely AMAZING Crew and Cast. Especially my DP Rebecca. That chick seriously cares about indie film, she stuck her neck out for me, EP-ing THE SAVING and happily jumped on board as Director of Photography for GONE FOR THE DAY. I couldn’t have done it without her. The knowledge, know-how, care, and attention she showed the project and this Director will stick with me forever. I’ve already decided she’ll be on my TY list when I snag my first Oscar All this to say THANK YOU REBECCA! A shout out to Matt Brammer as well, who was GFTD’s Key Grip/Gaffer, the totally self-taught lighting genius brought his industry level brilliance to our low-budget short without a minute of hesitation, his total A-game. Between him and Rebecca, we have one da*m good looking movie on our hands.

Having these people by my side every step of the way (among many others like the ever sporting nerd t-shirt MU/H/W Goddess Apryl Mitchell Snyder) the two days we rambled around Traveler’s Rest SC (population 4k, more then three fourths of which are apparently in Church on Sunday morning) made all the difference as we rambled around this small town. Did I mention I have a brill Cast as well. Both Daniel Bostic and Catherine Allen nailed their roles with ease and effortless charm. And I’m pretty sure that they had a blast doing it as well.

To step back and clearly see the steps forward I’ve taken in this past year is nothing but encouraging and challenges me to continue to grow. So much still to learn and experience. As for GONE FOR THE DAY, we’re looking at a picture lock before Christmas, and the release date is being hammered down sometime in early February 2012. A very quick turn-around and then its off to the Festival races. My ten year plan for #IndieFilmWorldDomination continues!

To end with, while sorting through the clothes that needed to be laundered after the weekend shoot I stumbled upon one of my favorite shirts that I didn’t actually end up wearing on set. Scrawled across the front was the simple yet profound phrase “Oh the places you’ll go.” I can’t help but smile, half because its Dr. Seuss and he’s made of AWESOME but mostly because the statement is so darn true. But I’m gonna take the liberty of tweaking it a bit. “Oh the places WE’LL go.” I strongly believe we’re in this together, cause honestly, who else would I be making movies for

You guys rock and thanks for reading!

I wish wordpress would allow subtitles. For this post it would be written like this:

Getting Back on the Horse
& learning to be Ok with being scared of riding

ANYHOW…….

I’m making another movie. I decided about three weeks ago that I wasn’t going to wait until next year to take on another film project. Thus was born GONE FOR THE DAY, a short film about getting over it. Appropriate huh? I was working on the pitch video for GONE FOR THE DAY’S Kickstarter campaign and the words “Its funny how film can end up reflecting what’s really going on in your life.” came out of my mouth and sorta (not sure why) but caught me off guard. I realized this is film is much about the character’s recovery as it is about mine. The story is about two total strangers who find themselves wandering about their small hometown in an attempt to get over a failed relationship. I’ve done just that, on many occasions, seeking some form of solace in the familiar yet unfamiliar, letting myself get lost on the city streets and the quirky experiences that come along with it. You’ll just have to watch the pitch video to see how the rest of it lines up (and its pretty uncanny how many elements do so).

For at least a month I’ve felt incredibly vulnerable, having shed the armor that my old project Fruition Hard Line had offered me, I look back and realize I’d been using the film as a way to stuff down all my own personal problems which for any artist or people in general is anything but healthy.

I wasn’t willing to seriously confront the heartache and friendships I had let fall by the wayside because I had stuff to get done and by jove I was gonna get it done! Needless to say my drive came back and bit me solidly in the rear end. Its taken up to till now to get my life fully back on track, renew several friendships that I can’t believe I let get away from me *shakes head* and simply take some deep breaths.

People always saying you gotta have a tough skin in the Entertainment industry and I can’t argue with that but lets not be so tough we end up just not caring. There is already so much that is soulless in our society, I refuse to have my art fueled in that way. GONE FOR THE DAY is going to be a enjoyable film, a good ole fashion indie film romp of sorts with quirky dialogue and message that speaks directly from this Director’s heart to her audience. In the end those are the sorta films I want to make. Not all grit or glam but taking life lessons and exploring them in a visually appealing and provoking way. I have fears that I’ll simply mess up (its only my second directing gig after all) but I want to step up and prove to people I’m not just a Screenwriter or Producer (no matter how awesome those two positions happen to be) The saddle can be a rather uncomfortable place and having the reigns in your hands can be overwhelming but someone has to take them or everything will run amuck and end up in your neighbor’s prize flower garden. Ok I’ll stop with the riding metaphors but I think you get the idea. Its all very challenging and when it comes down to it, super exciting….

So…Did I mention, “I’M MAKING MAKING A MOVIE YO!” *HAPPY DANCE*

Hey All,

Need your help, doing some serious research for a project.

If you guys could answer the questions listed below it was be incredibly HELPFUL Thank you! And feel free to share this blog post with friends and direct them to answer as well. The more data I can amass the better.

SURVEY

GENDER:
AGE:

What sorts of sounds/noises do you associate with these emotions?

Anger:
Peace:
Fear:
Trust:
Love:
Hate:
Happiness:
Sorrow:
Jealousy:
Tension:
Loneliness:
Confusion: