Decided that Artemis likes to mess with my head after his appearance. It seems that after every full moon – which I know makes me insane – I seem to come down hard for several days afterward. Hmmm, just like a man.
Anyway, Artemis is long gone and I’m feeling normal again.
It’s been a weirdly creative few days. Although I bitch about doing the Michael’s thing, it really does come down to I’m getting paid to create. So they’re little polymer clay things, but I get to do something I really enjoy and get to share that with the hapless masses. Or hapless mass, as both of my classes so far have had one single student. I’m hoping that my two hours sitting in the doorway at Michael’s on Sunday brings on the masses. It’d be more fun teaching a batch of people and definitely more profitable.
I’ve had two really great rehearsals with my lead actresses on “Cinderella.” They’re both so lovely and so collaborative. They don’t hesitate to tell me what they think – good and bad. Luckily, the script is very strong so it’s mainly ways to make it stronger. We had a great long discussion tonight about the relationship between the two sisters and they helped me figure out what I think the script is missing. I’ve always felt like there was something more that could be done with the relationship and I think that most of it has been in my head. Since the story is autobiographical to a point, I knew what my relationship was/is with my sister but I don’t think the subtleties ever made it to the page. I just assumed everyone would feel the same way I do. I fought my way home in what Chairman so appropriately called “an LA snow day,” fighting the hydroplaning on the 110 and trying not to get smushed into the concrete center divider. I couldn’t wait to sit down and write. I blew by my roomie with barely a hello and tackled the computer. It actually was pretty easy to write. I have some more tweeking to do but I think the foundation is there. Re-wrote about 11 pages and touched up about a dozen more throughout the script in a couple of hours. Thought I’d leave it for the night and take a fresh look in the morning and see if anything else catches me. But I’m pleased with what I wrote, even though I know it’s going to evolve even more.
Feeling much more optimistic about the film, either because Artemis has gone away or just because I do. It does just feel like it’s the right time for this and that, somehow, it’s going to come together. I’m not sure how but I just have to trust that we’ll figure it out. So if you haven’t sent in your $20, do so now. Or buy a CD off of one of us. I feel like sending out an email every other day to my friends who haven’t contributed saying, “Just give me the 20 bucks because you know I’ll keep sending these emails until you do. If you don’t, I’ll start sending them twice a day until you do.” I thought I’d do a birthday-guilt email in the next week or so since my birthday is less than three weeks away and will actually be our first day of shooting (expecting big ole chocolate cake so somebody better take note – and it’s Patty Jean’s b-day as well --- big f’ing cake!). An email something along the lines of, “It’s my birthday, what better present could you give me? $20 towards making my biggest dream come true.” Tell me that wouldn’t inspire you to give me your $20? Have I made it clear I want your money? Sorry, but if I don’t ask, I don’t get. Or offer to buy the production lunch one day. We’re not proud. We’ll take Pizza Hut or KFC.
Even writing the “please give us $1,000” email was creative, in a way. It made me really think about what we’re trying to accomplish and how to convey that to someone who hasn’t been reading the blogs or isn’t familiar with this whole process. Luckily, it only took a couple of drafts and some good notes from Chairman to get it right. I sent mine out today and hope that something will follow on that.
I also have a lovely lady writing a press release for the film. She also challenged me, in a good way, by sending me a list of questions about the film so she can write the press release. Some of them are tough and I have to contemplate them before responding. The main one was what is it about this project that makes it different from all the other independent films out there. My leading ladies and I discussed this a bit tonight, trying to think of a really good film in recent years that had a true portrayal of only two sisters. It seems that, in Hollywood, you must have at least three sisters in order to portray sister relationships. I like to think that this film stands out because it is about two sisters, not four or five, and that it’s more honest about their relationship. I don’t know. Need to sit at the coffee shop in the AM and put my brain to it.
Don’t have any typing to do in the morning, thank goodness, so I have the morning to finish up this batch of Cinderella stuff. Am still frustrated at my work environment because there’s just not enough room. Every time I lay anything out, I’ve got to pack it up because it’s either in the living room and, as much as I love my canine roomies, they’re not real clear on boundaries and think everything within reach is theirs and therefore papers would be scattered and eaten if left out. And the only place to spread out in my room is my bed. And I don’t particularly like sleeping on my own paperwork and neither does Twyla. Oh, well, there are worse things than this but it just annoys me. I haven’t gotten used to not having my own place, I think, and I get frustrated sometimes, missing my old, huge, gloriously spacious apartment. Although there wasn’t much room there either due to… well, anyway, that’s past.
So I had anticipated a very late night of writing and seem to have accomplished what I set out to do. Guess there’s nothing left to do but put on my Nick and Nora’s and climb into bed with my furry cohort, to hopefully dream of better ways to write this scene and wake up inspired. Oh, and I get to try out in my new job tomorrow so I’m hoping that goes well. You know I’ll let you know!
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