Worth the Wait

I can say unabashedly, that August has been the most difficult month for me since moving to Los Angeles for work. Production in the mainstream has been slow and job after job has fallen through. True to form, I've been in and out of a quiet panic deep inside my head. Even truer to form, things ended up being OK. I booked a producing job that will uproot me from Los Angeles and temporarily plant me back in Boston and New York.

Being able to travel for work is a huge blessing and while many jobs fell through, it seems I had to wait for the better opportunity. This wasteland of work has allowed me to really focus on Movie Magic Media and build our credit list (we were just awarded our first professional music video, The Summer Set with Razor and Tie in NY, that shoots this weekend.), organize our space and nurse this company to life. Not only will I be producing this commercial, but MMM has been awarded the job. This is the first large-scale job awarded to the company by a third party.

The icing on the cake is that I will also have a chance to travel home to Philly and see my family for a few days. I hoping to piggy back the trips, but this means I'll be out of LA for nearly a month. I'm excited to get away on a great job, see my family and come back to LA with a fresh perspective. (There's that word again.)

So, it's time to gear up for a hard, but rewarding couple of weeks. It's time to recharge my West Coast battery with a little East Coast love. I'm out on a redeye on Tuesday.

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PR6 Premiere Party. Thompson Hotel roof in Beverly Hills!

Family Ties

It has been over 8 months since I've seen my family. Have I avoided going home? No. Have I tried to go home? Yes. Things just haven't been working out for me in this regard and it is because of this that I have felt a deepening longing to go home and seem my family. I wouldn't say that it's because I want to be coddled and cooed over. Those days are long gone. Nonetheless, there is a comfort about being home, in the house I've grown up in, with the family I grew up with.

I think I attribute this desire to our ever-evolving dynamic as a family. Where most people would account for this change as a point of stress, I find myself drawn to it. I've mentioned before the transformation that takes place after high school and especially after college; that is, where the family undergoes a severe restructuring. Because we are not bound by the nuclear ties of a single roof or our "parents rules," we suddenly become human to one another.

I'm fascinated by the new roles we assume in the family. Yes, the old roles exist, but more as a vestige or a reason for the way things are. Often time, it's a scapegoat and, other times, it's a point of pride. Sometimes we let go and other times we hold on. Still, having spent so much time away from home, I'm seeing each of us - my mother, father, sister and brother - as more or less on a level playing field. We all have our strong suits and our weaknesses. We all have the ways in which we show love and hate. We all have issues.

I've been, and continue to be, intrigued but what makes my family tick. I miss our debates around the dinner table - as much as I also loathe them. My family is growing. My sister is due with his first child in December and a new story begins. Ours continues and I want to catch up and meet the individuals that cared for my as a child in the place they are at now.

OK. I also want a home-cooked meal from my mom and to be coddled... but just a little bit.

MV Shoot @ Panavision

Just a few shots from a music video I worked on this weekend as an AD. I think it looks pretty incredible and I'm excited for the band!

The set.

Screenshot with Roxy the PD :)

Can't upload pictures of the costumes, but they are equally amazing. Fun day at work.

My mother just requested me on Facebook...

Nothing more interesting to say... Summer lingers on in Los Angeles.

** I always get the same cute bank teller at Chase in Culver City. She knows all of the intimate details of my financial life and I kind of feel like we're in a serious relationship.

** I always end up spending twice as long at any Trader Joe's other than my own on La Brea trying to figure out where everything is. I also get really angry whenever my TJ's changes anything (ex. switching the the bread aisle with the coffee aisle. Why?!). I always spent at least ten minutes waiting for someone to vacate one of the ten available spots in the parking lot.

** I'm find myself anticipating the next wave in the political tides. In the adult world, these issues seem to flood all other aspects of daily life. (Ex. 9/11, Global Warming, Recession)

** My mother just friend requested me on Facebook. My brother and sister have accepted said request. I on the other hand would just rather listen to my mother talk about how many "fake friends" she has than grant her access into my highly public world. I also secretly like keeping my mother guessing.

** Whether or not I stay in Los Angeles for the long term, I will always think of the city as....

1) Miracle Mile - because it's my neighborhood and home. I love the barred windows on the first floors of the duplexes and the fact that I can stand on my roof and see all parts of the city.

2) Culver City - because Culver was the original Hollywood and I feel like the industry still exists here in a less bastardized form than in the rest of the city. Also, the countless days spent working here and enjoying the downtown area, sitting outside with a cup of coffee or having a drink.

3) West Hollywood - because this area grew on me. Because despite the stereotypes and assumptions about the area, it really is a beautiful community with a number of significant memories from all areas in my life.

Not enough to write about on their own. Just a bunch of thoughts. Hope your week is going well!

On Set

Setting up moho for talent... I think I'll enjoy breakfast in this ac!

Quiet Fix

Like I mentioned before, I've been spending more of my time focusing on music as a creative outlet. As I have no piano easily at my fingertips, I've been proactive about writing lyrics and then working with friends (who do have these melodic means) to add music. Not the most pragmatic way to go about penning a song, but I'm working with what I've got! Here are some lyrics I've been working on. I'm a few songs in now...

-------------------

Tropics line the streets

Wheels and pavement meet

The earth beneath me quakes

I feel my body shake and...

Each day I search for a quiet fix

An easy sign

Slow passing time

To understand what I've missed

But I'm a wanderer. I'm a warrior

Marching towards something new.

I'm a pioneer, in spite of fear

Give me the peace I'm due

This traveler in search of a clearer view

Buildings line the streets

Cabs provide a steady fleet

Time passes in the Square

Passing me by without a care and...

Each day I search for a quiet fix

An easy sign

Slow passing time

To understand what I've missed

But I'm a wanderer. I'm a warrior

Marching towards something new.

I'm a pioneer, in spite of fear

Give me the peace I'm due

This traveler in search of a clearer view

Chasing the setting sun

Clear my mind. I have to run

Each place feels the same

How long can I remain?

And I'm a wanderer. I'm a warrior

Marching towards something new.

I'm a pioneer, in spite of fear

Give me the peace I'm due

This traveler in search of his clearer view

Happy One Year Anniversary (from Palm Springs)!!!

It's been one year since starting Crames Uprooted. Thanks for following along :)

Movie Magic Moving On Up

Here's a look at the first addition to Movie Magic Media since coming to Los Angeles last year! Slow but steady wins the race! This office is shared by Bird and myself and is dedicated to development and production. Moving on up!

My desk. Excited about all the light!

Another look!

Needless to say, I'm ecstatic about having some dedicated space and a desk. I'm also excited about my bunk-mate, Bird. I am ALSO excited about all of the organization, but that's the neurotic in me I suppose.

The New Relationship(s)

re⋅la⋅tion⋅ship

  [ri-ley-shuhn-ship]

–noun

1.	a connection, association, or involvement.

2.	connection between persons by blood or marriage.

3.	an emotional or other connection between people: the relationship between teachers and students.

4.	a sexual involvement; affair.

Over the course of my weekend, this particular word presented itself in a multitude of forms, fashions, and functions. In nearly every sense of the word, I was forced to pry a little deeper into my existing - and subsequently past and forthcoming - relationships as Friday turned into Sunday. What I discovered are two undeniable truths:

1) Fortunately, I learn from experience. Relationships will only get better: the more I learn and experience, the more I grow.

2) Unfortunately, I learn from experience. The past is past and I can't change the relationships I've messed up and the people I've hurt.

Now that being said, I think the former outweighs the latter in a myriad of ways and should be held in a much higher regard. Still, any human with any sort of life experience will tell you that the tiniest drop of 'negative' can poison an ocean of 'positive.'

I found myself examining each definition in the above excerpt, inspecting and defining my interaction and interfacing with....

1) acquaintances, my day to day life, my world

2) my family

3) my friends and colleagues

4) my love life

I think each of these warrant their own entry; however all of them have a few core things in common. I'm realizing on a deeper level the evolution of the new relationships in my life. Whether I met you yesterday or have known you my entire life, there's a new code of conduct that applies to my life and as I function now.

First of all, I'm beyond my "transition" period in Los Angeles. As it's to be expected, any big change requires a certain amount of self-involvement in ones life in order to guard yourself and establish roots and a new identity. Unfortunately, this mechanism of survival leaves many in a the choppy wake of narcism and narrow-mindedness. Like I said, this period of my life (for now) is complete, and I have no excuse to treat any person, family member or loved one with any amount of emotional disregard.

Next, I've was reminded at the sermon this week to always stay invested in my relationships, even when things get bad. I've been a firm believer of this my whole life, but there have been instances in my recent history where I've really neglected this. I've "taken off" from many of my relationships; a few hours can been as detrimental as a few days where this matter is concerned. One minute is enough to destroy even the most established relationship. Ultimately, some occasions will need to end in a departure, but as a rule, I find that the benefit of the doubt and/or a second chance will leave you happier in the long run.

Finally, encourage and value the people you're with. The older I get the easier people seem to turn from one another when they feel their value is treated with disregard. The indescretions we experience in childhood and adolescence, the unsavory actions we permit in those relationships simply do not apply anymore. Whether this is associated with the gradual relief of social pressures or a general wear in patience, I find that special attention must be paid where egos are concerned. At the most basic level, we should lift each other up and support each other. This seemingly simple rule is one often neglected and hard to regularly maintain even in the most earnest friend.

As I see it, the new rules of the relationship will vary from person to person. These are my own assertions, although I do think they hold at least some validity for all. Take what you will. Add what you will. Leave what you will. It's all about experience. It's entirely about you. And it has nothing at all to do with you.