And it begins again....

It has been over a year since I've been a director. in that time I've worn many hats: Intern, PA, Key PA, 2nd 2nd AD (ironically called thus because 3rd AD sounds too similar to turd AD. I shit you not....pun intended), professional editor, and high school basketball coach. Starting friday I will be back in the director's chair.

This is what its all about: the process. Writing the script, late night. The monitor glow is the only thing that illuminates handwritten notes. Revisions, focus group readings. Then finding someone who believes in your project, and you, enough to want to make the words into a film. Then the long arduous road of pre-production. Casting, finding locations, greasing palms. But all of that is almost done and Friday we start filming, for better or worse.

I just hope I stay sane long enough to see it....

That's a Wrap

So I have decided to start contributing to this neglected blog.  The irony of the grind years, is that the last thing you are thinking about is blogging about your grind.  I had an experience over the course of the past 2-3 months that was worth noting.  

1) It was after my boy Ben Rodriguez's shoot,(Big up to B-Rod, You're gonna be an ill DP/Director some day bruh) anyway I digress. So we had just finished Ben's shoot and I'm like, "why are there so many people outside tonight, don't they have work to do?"  Turns out that it was a Friday night and these people had actual lives and partying to do.  One of the things that I have noticed about myself over the course of our production period is that I need to work on balancing life w/work.  I will get so obsessive about my work that everything will deteriorate around me b/c I am so focused on doing my job ( & even then I don't feel it's enough...). 

The lesson I learned was not to lose sight of things which you value.  Right now I have just wrapped on my second film at NYU and I'm going to make up for time lost.  So I am going to spend time w/my niece & neph, take my sis Dog for a walk, go out, drink be merry, actually watch a whole film, etc....

Peace fellas,

-Jay