brain dead & fancy free

Something Fun...

2008-08-21T09:19:00.000-05:00

And maybe a little bit disturbing, but hey, what isn't these days?

Three Weeks!

2008-07-11T21:44:00.001-05:00

We start shooting Anarchy for Breakfast in three weeks!

I'm so excited I can hardly breathe. Must remember to breathe...

Why Can't I Leave Those Zombies Alone?

2008-07-11T21:41:00.002-05:00

Here you go. A brand new Dead Flesh trailer made specifically for the YouTube. For some reason, the other trailers don't make us of the totally amazing "I Love a Girl (Who Likes to Eat Brains)" song that Todd wrote for us. This one does and the world is a better place for it.

48 Hour Film Project 2008

2008-06-26T11:21:00.002-05:00

Here you go. We made this less than 48 hours, from concept to final edit. We decided not to make a cleaner edit because then it would lose all it's sloppy, sleep-deprived charm. So while far from perfect, it's a solid entry into the contest and the best of the three years that we've participated so far.

Daily YouTube Post

2008-06-19T08:20:00.002-05:00

Eventually I'll get around to posting something other than YouTube videos. But that day is not today.

Enjoy this dose of political satire that is most definitely Not Safe For Work.

Aimee Mann

2008-06-18T15:10:00.003-05:00

Last night at La Zona Rosa. Hung out with Wayne and saw a great show. And now I have to buy her new album.

In other news...

2008-06-12T14:51:00.001-05:00

Ten days and counting...

All the time in the world

2008-06-12T14:33:00.002-05:00

I was chatting with Matt today and we both noted that since it was summer now, we had officially gotten stupid and decided that "summer = ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD." I'm not complaining because I've been complacent and non-productive for far too long, but dammmmmn am I busy this summer.

I'm outlining two new feature scripts and a musical, starting pre-production/writing two summer film projects, reading scripts for the Austin Film Festival and taking an animation course. Plus I'm working 30 hours a week.

Why am I doing this? Because I am crazy.

Can't Stop Watching...

2008-05-20T09:33:00.002-05:00

(Should probably warn you that this is NSFW due to hilarious, hilarious language)

TV Poisoning

2008-05-13T11:06:00.003-05:00

I got a mild case of TV poisoning over the weekend. I'm okay now, but it put me in a weird funk for a couple of days, one of those "why do I even bother" existential crisis states.

Flipping through the channels, I stopped on Comedy Central airing what I quickly discovered to be "American Pie: The Naked Mile" - a straight-to-DVD film that actually did very well, all things considered. Now I do not have a good relationship with the American Pie films (all stemming back to a college party in which one drunken classmate became enraged - seriously enraged - that I was not laughing at the movie. Perhaps had I been drunk/high/had no taste, it would not have been a problem). But I decided to watch a few minutes to see how bad it could be. And I was mesmerized. Not just by how poorly it was written/acted but it actually became morally reprehensible within minutes. My inner feminist was freaking the hell out. It was beyond sexist, beyond misogynistic. And there were tons of shit jokes. Is this what young people find funny? I don't mean to generalize here, but someone was buying those DVDs when I worked at Borders. I started railing against this film and a morally bankrupt society that accepts this as entertainment but Leanna was too busy getting ready for bed and just ignored me (usually the best response to my rants).

When I could take the film no longer - my body weak, my mind numb - I flipped one channel down, where SciFi was showing their newest original movie "Aztec Rex," in which conquistadors must band together with the Aztecs to fight off an angry T. Rex. And that just broke my brain.

I spent most of yesterday in bed, watching British television to nurse myself back to health. "Green Wing" did the trick, as did the news that the US "Spaced" remake is dead. Thank you Britain. You have saved my life yet again.

On Wiener Dogs

2008-05-01T10:46:00.000-05:00

We went to see a wiener dog race today.

And it was kinda a big deal. Parking on site filled up immediately so they had to bus people in from a make-shift parking lot in a field. Big yellow school buses at that, only full of anxious wiener dogs. Excitement was in the air. Make no mistake, these wieners were here to win. Despite the cloudy weather and looming threats of rain, hundreds of people huddled near the fenced-in race area, waiting, hoping for a glimpse of the little stumpy legs running with reckless abandon.

The race works as follows: the dogs enter the chute and the owners crouch at the other end of the race track, frantically waving the dogs' favorite toys. At this sight, the doggie athletes go into a veritable frenzy, scratching and biting at the gate holding them back. When the judges are ready (there were four of them), the gate is lifted and the dogs tear down the track, leap across the finish line and into their owners' hands. It was adorable.

We watched about 20 races. And then...the unthinkable happened. A black wiener dog named Peanut handily won the race, crossing the finish line waaaaaay before the others. The judges immediately broke into a huddle, heatedly discussing something, looking back at Peanut with furrowed brows. The head judge walked over to the owner and demanded to the see the dog's papers, as several of the judges believed it was not a pure-bred Dachshund and therefore ineligible to race with other wiener dogs. Upon second glance, the dog did look like a mix.

Sigh. Is not even a fine American tradition such as weiner dog racing not free from controversy? What's next? Baseball?

Learning to Swear

2008-04-27T19:22:00.002-05:00

I still remember the first time I first heard all the major curse words. One of the neighbor kids went through a string of them, all in a row like it was no big deal. His siblings snickered and then started telling dirty jokes that I'm sure none of us understood. I sure didn't. I just laughed in that awkward way that's a little too loud, trying to convince everyone that you're cool and hip and in the know about such things.

I still do that but it's usually because I didn't quite hear the punchline (has my beloved iPod ruined my hearing forever?) and I don't want to ask them to repeat, which just kills a joke or witty comment flat.

"I'm sorry, could you take what you just said and repeat it completely out of context?"

"Ummm, okay. Pancakes."

See? In the moment, that would have been f'ing hilarious.

Anyway, on the bus today we stopped next to a speed limit sign in a school zone, so it had a big yellow School sign beneath it. Then I noticed (in the way that I do) that someone had taken a knife and etched in the words "Fuk Scool." Which was great for two reasons: 1) Had this guy not forgone school, he would have been able to spell the phrase correctly and therefore connect his message to many more fellow rebellious teens. The very thing he despises most is what he needs to spread his dissent to the world. It's practically Shakespearean in its simple tragedy. 2) His misspelling of "scool" is even more mind-boggling because less than one inch below his etching was the word "SCHOOL" in all caps, bold against the yellow sign. It was right there! I get that you don't carry around a dictionary/thesaurus when taking to the streets to deface shit (although, word to wise, 10-letter words get you hell of street cred), but come on! How do you not see that? This just further emphasizes point one.

Not to get all old man on you, but back in my day, if you were going to permanently ruin a public display, you made sure you double-checked spelling and grammar before ever putting ink to brick. If it was really important, maybe include footnotes or a bibliography around the corner where one could go for more information. It's just common courtesy, people.

Persepolis

2008-04-27T19:20:00.000-05:00

Finally saw this movie and fell in love. Wonderful for too many reasons to list here. See it when you can.

Best. Review. Ever.

2008-04-11T22:46:00.002-05:00

Here's this review for the new film "Prom Night" on one of my favorite new film sites, Pajiba.com. It pretty much sums a lot of what I've been thinking lately about the state of our society, but wrapped in the guise of reviewing this horrible, horrible movie.

Trust me. I wouldn't send you to review for "Prom Night" if it wasn't something special.

Last New Comic

2008-04-06T16:24:00.002-05:00

At least for now. More as I draw them. Collin and I talking about creating a new site just for our comics, pitting us against each other for your favor. He can actually draw but I'm quicker. Quantity over quality, baby!

On Anarchy

2008-04-04T14:06:00.002-05:00

So I'm doing lots of research on anarchists and the modern state of anarchy for this new project and I've come to a rather disappointing discovery: anarchy is kinda boring. Most people, I think, have in their minds the stereotypical DIY punk who wants to smash the state or the revolutionary guerilla that tosses molotov cocktails. But if you look beyond the cliche, it's a lot of theory and repetitive assertions about consumerism. They also don't believe in voting. I agree with about half of what they say (multi-national corporations are indeed at the root of much of the world's evil) but found myself dozing off reading through a lot of it. Why must manifestos be so dull?! When I eventually write mine, it will have hilarious cartoons scrawled in the margins. Or maybe a flip book on the corners of a guy doing backflips or something.

Check it out if you're so inclined: Anarchy FAQ

I need to find a blend between the reality and the stereotype of the modern day anarchist for the character of Desdemona. She's not really the type to spout theory. Let's face it: the stereotype is so much more fun to watch!

p.s. Did you know there's an anarchist bookstore in Austin? I've always wanted to check it out and now I have a reason. Will report back.

Your New Obsession

2008-04-02T13:39:00.002-05:00

Let me introduce you to your new obsession:

www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab

It's the most amazing podcast out there, especially for people who like science and pop culture. It's a nice blending of both and some of the finest radio production value I've ever heard. And I just realized that the last three topics are all thematically related to April Fools Day:

Laughter, Deception and the infamous "War of the Worlds" broadcast.

This show will change the way you look at the world. That's not hyperbole. It's a simple fact. You can subscribe on iTunes and I think it lets you download all the episodes from seasons past. Trust me - you'll love it.

Another new comic

2008-03-30T19:22:00.002-05:00

Cults are okay, I think

2008-03-28T10:09:00.003-05:00

So I'm torn.

This program is great and I'm grateful for being allowed to even study here. I'm getting tons of writing done, some of the best I've ever written. Their job is to help us write something we can sell. This is a business after all. I've purposefully chosen to write a feature that's a little more broad than what I normally do. It's commercial, has a strong hook but features the kind of weirdness that I enjoy. It still feels like something Collin and I would write.

On the other hand, part of me struggles against this, wanting to write weird stuff (like serial killers with sassy talking parasites in their brains) that I know for a fact will only have a cult appeal and not make me as much money. The splintering of American culture and the niche marketing available online tells me this is okay. If I can find "1,000 true fans" then screw the masses. They're the ones who refused to watch "Arrested Development" and therefore cannot be trusted.

I think all artists struggle with this. I like to complain about the business aspect of filmmaking, but it's no different than the painters of yore who had to paint religious subjects in order to make cash. You follow the market or you die broke in a gutter and are only recognized as a trailblazing genius years after your death. I really don't like either option. But I'm not young and idealistic and fresh out of film school, ready to conquer the world. I'm becoming much more practical (mostly because I'm not sure how much longer I can go without finding a way to make money at this).

The internet is revolutionizing the way we create entertainment to a degree that no one has fully realized yet. Even small indie films are costing $30 million these days. The indie boom of the 90s is long gone and the internet is so full of crap that you really have to wade through to find anything decent. But it's there and it's growing. I think we have a shot at doing something unique and finding a place for it online. The webisodes we're shooting this summer will be the first step of bypassing the studio system altogether.

Something my Producing professor said really stuck with me. He said television is different because it goes through so many layers of involvement. There is no "El Mariachi" of sitcoms, made on a shoestring budget and so impressive that people had to stand up and notice. I think"Anarchy for Breakfast" can be that project. Lots of stuff online has been picked up for actual network broadcast (No One's Watching, Quarterlife) but none of it's worked. If we can find a way to make it work, or better yet, figure out a new paradigm that works, then the money will follow.

Cult appeal is okay, I think. As long as I can live comfortably and continue making projects, I don't need lots of money or even fame. If we make entertainment that we like, the right people will find us. I know that there's at least 1,000 people out there with our weird sense of humor. And we will find them.

So here's to the future.

The New One

2008-03-27T15:13:00.003-05:00

www.myspace.com/skipppingtomorrow

Good to see they're still making features.

Do you ever wonder if they still show ours? We were the first - bloody and defiant in every possible way. New trailer coming soon.

New Comics!

2008-03-26T22:17:00.003-05:00

Actually, year old comics that I found while digging around for important papers regarding the title for my car. I never found the important papers but I found three comics I drew awhile back. All previously unpublished! I don't even think Collin has seen 'em.

Here's the first:

I need a suggestion...

2008-03-19T12:22:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I'm primarily a writer. I'm good at sitting in front of a computer for hours on end making funny things happen to characters I've created. Technically, I am making up the dialogue as I write, as it pops into my head which is not too different from improv.

I bring this up because I just finished my 8-week improv class at the Coldtowne theater in Austin.

Anyone who knows me is fully aware that I am no actor. I would not even make the community theater cut. I am like a black hole of talent the moment I open my mouth. That being said, practically everyone says to be a good director, you need to take an acting class. See what it's like from the other side. And since I'm waaaay to chicken to take a proper acting class, I took the improv class. Which promised lots of stage time. Both Collin and Brad took the class with me so that made it even easier to take.

And it was fun. The teachers were both extremely talented and supportive, which helped because I was usually hell of nervous when I got on stage. It was a great group of people in the class (all far more talented than I) and I fed off their skillz like the acting parasite I am. Coldtowne teaches long-form improv, so it's more like what you see from the Upright Citizens Brigade than "Who's Line is it Anyway?"

So now it's over. And I learned quite a bit from this class. I was better than I thought I would be (though my expectations were very low). I got a few laughs here and there. Confirmed that Collin is awesome at this stuff. He'll continue taking classes and get even better. And maybe I'll be a better director for it. But again, I'm a too much of the writer cliche. I need to time to write and rewrite a line until it's perfect. I do think this class has helped me trust my gut instincts a little more and for that, I am grateful.

That being said, I can guarantee that I will never appear in front of the camera in my projects ever again. Collin wouldn't let me. I've made him promise.

Bunny Lake is Missing!

2008-03-16T19:13:00.002-05:00

Great cult film from 1965. We saw it on TCM and highly recommend. It's about a single mother who moves to England and when her daughter Bunny turns up missing, the cops can't find any evidence that she ever existed. It was recently ripped off by the Jodie Foster film "Flight Plan" and will be officially remade sometime this year. But see the original. It's creepy weird and has an old crazy lady who records the nightmares of young children into a tape recorder. And Noel Coward as probably the most insensitive landlord ever. The logic sort of falls apart in the end, but by 1965 standards, this is quite a modern film. It's mostly handheld and features some great acting (including Laurence Olivier). Check it!

How Lorri Hamm-Wilson saved my blog (and maybe my life)

2008-03-14T11:26:00.004-05:00

Okay, so you can thank Lorri that I'm blogging again. And this time for good. If not daily, then close to it. We'd been trading super-long emails to each other all last week and now she's got me all excited about filmmaking again. I'd sort of been bummed out lately, just due to the overwhelming fact of how difficult it is to do anything in this business. I'm normally a pretty positive person, always looking towards a brighter tomorrow and what-not, but 2007 kinda sucked. I've made a Big Fancy Chart (tm) to explain:

As you can see, there was an upswing in 2008, thanks partly to the valiant efforts of Lorri for inspiring me to get back to work and shoot something. So this summer was already going to be full of production (with a short film and Channel101 series on the way) but now the world is going to get a full-on massive 412 Films project. And obviously Collin and Charissa continue to play a big part as well, what with sushi lunches to contemplate our future.

So this is like my re-introduction into the blogging world (for all three of you out there who read this) and a quick hello to say thanks for getting me back on track. 2008 will be Awesome Town.

The most awesome thing ever

2007-12-06T10:43:00.000-06:00

I was driving to work last week when a pig ran out in front of me. I slammed on my breaks, not sure if my stress-addled mind had fabricated the whole thing. It's the point in the semester where halucinations are not uncommon. But no, there was the pig, running around the neighborhood. Some guy was chasing it, grabbing it breifly before the pig shot out of his hands and sprinted away. This happened repeatedly before I drove on.

But how often do you get to see a grown man chase a pig? That is comedy gold. Doubly so when it's unexpected.

Movies watched:
Confetti
Knocked Up
Run Lola Run

I Give Up

2007-11-29T22:53:00.001-06:00

So I obviously can't keep up with my fancy cartoon blog. I'm going to try a different format for cartoon blogging in the new year. If that works, I can post it online.

In the meanwhile, I'll attempt to do just a boring text-with-some-pictures-of-a-cat blog like everyone else has. Only I don't have a cat and I'm too lazy to Google image search. So it's just text. I'll still post cartoons as I do them.

I'd get rid of the blog altogether but I'm too angry not to have a place to complain about stuff. Or talk about crazy stuff I see on the bus every day.

Movies watched since last post:
No Country For Old Men
I'm a Cyborg and That's Ok
Citizen Kane
Bicycle Theives
400 Blows
Sunset Blvd
The Graduate
The Best Years of Our Lives
Band Wagon
Adaptation
Iron Giant
Darkon

outraged!

2007-10-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

Movies watched:
McCabe & Mrs. Miller

(sigh)

2007-10-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

Movies seen since last post:

Grapes of Wrath
His Girl Firday
Singing in the Rain
Bottle Rocket (twice)
Russian Ark
M
The General
Eastern Promises
The Usual Suspects
Cecil B. Demented
Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist
Children of Men

james mason is awesome

2007-09-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

movie watched: North by Nothwest (1959)

doing it right this time

2007-09-09T23:45:00.000-05:00

movies watched: The Great Dictator (1940)

a little too old school

2007-09-03T20:23:00.001-05:00

not quite the lottery, but...

2007-09-01T22:47:00.000-05:00

movies watched: The Painted Veil (2006)