High Art

I am constantly amazed by the amount of people within the art community that think the world begins and ends at their feet.  The aristocracy of fine art that live in a haze of pot and Patchouli while judging any art that’s not their own with an iron fist.  The thirty-five year old adolescents that would live out their grandiose dreams of being the next Picasso if only they could find the time.  

I am and have always been an advocate of fine art, art education, and even art criticism, but it seems like lately every time I show my face at an art opening I hear hordes of art snobs talking under their breath about whatever work seems to be hanging on the gallery walls.  Maybe art has always had this air of arrogance surrounding it and I’ve just been blind to it, but even if that is the case shouldn’t artist as well as the people that frequent galleries leave the criticism to the critics?  I don’t mean that artist or patrons shouldn’t have opinions.  I think art should be experienced by the masses because good art transcends  opinion.  

Having worked within the film industry I’d love to see a day when the world of fine art embraces commercialism.  I’ve been to dozens of film festivals and love the excitement emanating from the crowd in anticipation of seeing something new.  The possibility that maybe, just maybe when the lights go out in the theater something life-changing might grace the screen.  That’s what I’d like to see at an art opening.  Not groups of disgruntled artists wondering why it’s not them on the gallery wall, but groups of artists and patrons hoping to see something life-altering, something that could open the door for others, something inspireing.   

Contrary to popular belief commercialism and fine art can become very successful bedfellows.  Artists like David Lynch, Andy Warhol, and Bob Dylan are proof that fine art can be commercial and still be art.  

 

Sheep are boring.

What is it about the flock mentality that gets the proverbial crotches of the American people so fucking wet?  Why is it that people feel the need to surround themselves with not the right people, but the right now people?  Is it because most of the world is shivering in there boots at the fact that they don’t have the answers, and because they don’t have a clear since of  their own direction?

Friends are a perfect example of the flock mentality that I’m talking about.  Once upon a time friends were the ones you let into your life, sharing your most secret of secrets, you laughed together, cried together, and even when things got tough you worked your shit out and stuck together no matter what. But that’s not the case today.  Today, people see friends as a tool, someone that might be able to take them to the next level.  If you happen to be the flavor of the month, but soon after your flavor fades away like a cheap stick of gum, then take a look around yourself. Because those people you called your friends are slowly going disappear into the darkness in search of someone new to latch on to, in hopes that that person might take them along on their trip to the top.  Of course it’s all a game, they’ll remain civil around you just in case your star starts to rise again, but believe me, when your not around your less important than Milli Vanilli at a one hit wonder convention.

I’m not saying that all people are gold digging parasites, but lets face the facts, most of the people in the world are sheep.  If that weren’t true our country wouldn’t be at war with an ideal, and Britney’s panties or lack there of wouldn’t be front page news.  All I’m saying is that sometimes it’s healthy to take inventory of those around you and if the expiration date on their friendship has long since expired throw them out.  I’m saying, myself included, that we should change the channel when the news isn’t really news, make our own way instead of waiting for someone else to take us with them, realize that the grass in never really greener, and hold on to the people that really matter and never let them go.  

Simplification is something that I’m working on, but like anything worth my time it’s a process.  I stumble every day, but am thankful that my family and friends (the real ones) are there to pick me up.  And I pride myself in knowing that I’m only a few steps away if they happen to stumble, even if they have nothing more than friendship to offer me.  

I know that I’m ranting without a coherent direction, but there is a point to my madness.  Sheep are pitiful animals that seldomly leave the flock to make their own way.  Maybe, the big house with more space than we actually need, the SUV, and the high powered friends are the reasons for the emptiness that seems to be sweeping over our country and its people.  

Make your own way, sheep are boring.  

New article on Filmmaking.net!

I have a new article on DIY financing up on Filmmaking.net, so click the logo above and check it out.

“Locked”

Besides meeting and surpassing my review goal I’ve started work on a comic book project tentatively called “Locked.”  I’m excited to be writing within a medium I’ve loved since I was a kid.  I’ll post more as about this project as it develops.  

I’m going Dutch!

The Dutch filmmaking website Movierebels.com is in the process of rebuilding their site and asked me to contribute some content.  So of course I said that I would send them a few articles, and to top it off they are going to translate the articles into Dutch.  I’m flattered that they would ask me to write for them, and I’m excited that I’ll get to check out my work in another language.  I’ll post a link here when the site is up and running.

Goals Schmoals

Sometimes I surprise myself.  This weekend I was able to knock out 3 movie reviews, an article, and an outline for a grant I’m working on.  So, I’ve met some of my writing goals, for this week at least.  I also spent a short amount of time working on my script, but didn’t get very far with it.  At least I’m writing everyday.  

Weekend movies, birthday parties, and a day just for me.

One of my goals was to write no less than three articles for Killer Film a week and so far this weekend I’ve already done two.  On Friday I checked out the awful “The Happening”  and on Saturday I took a group of family and friends (Payton, Alex, Killian, Jimmy) to see “The Hulk,” and let me just say that it was awesome.  I wasn’t waiting for it to kick as much ass as it did, but was pleasantly surprised that Marvel is now two for two.  

After the movie on Saturday I went to two children’s birthday parties.  The first for my son Payton’s best friend Alex was a combination “Star Wars” and slip n’ slide party.  It was fun, and my buddy Killian came dressed as Han’s sidekick Chewy and gave out “Star Wars” toys to all the kids.  The next one was for my cousin Randy’s little girl Courtney, and it also was fun.  I got to have a few beers with family and friends, and I got to reconnect with my old friend Ronnie.  

And now it’s Fathers Day and I get a day all to my self, and the only thing i want is to hang out with my family and do some writing.  All in all, despite all the crap that’s has been troubling me over the last few months, my life is headed in a very positive direction.

The list.

Today being the first day of my experiment I decided to make a list of goals that I’d like to see myself achieve within the next year.  I want to document my life as a writer/educator and set goals, some of which seem unreachable, so that I can look back at this blog a year from now and see exactly how closely I stuck to my plan.  So here goes, below is a list of goals that I’d like to see myself reach within a year.  I’m also going to put up a goals page and scratch through the goals as I reach them, and add to the list as well.  

 

Goals

1.  Write no less than 3 reviews a week for Killer Film.

2.  Write no less than 1 review a week for Arrow in the Head.

3.  Write no less than 1 feature a week for Killer Film.

4.  Write no less than 1 article a month for Filmmaking.net

5.  Finish my “Life in 3D” script.

6.  Finish “Remember Metropolis” documentary.

7.  Finish the short film “Wide Asleep.”

8.  Visit John in Montreal, and finish “Red Hours”

9.  Write my first comic book script.

10.  Write no less than 2 articles a month for DIY Logbook.

11.  Join the Visual Resource Association.

12.  Pass the first FCP Studio 2 certification test.

13.  Pass the first Adobe Ace test.

14. Write a grant to raise money for new furniture for the VRC.

15.  Start working on my Masters Degree.

16.  Write a grant to raise money for “Remember Metropolis”

 

I know that to attain even half of these goals would be an enormous task, but I’m going to try to reach as many of them as I can.

 

 

Welcome to my world.

A lot has happened in the last few years that has made me rethink my purpose in life.  Up to this point I’ve spent most of my time working on movies, and commercial video projects, but starting now I’m going to focus my attention on writing, art, and education.  So for the next year this blog is going to be an experiment to see where I end up.    I’ll post projects I’m working on, script samples, reviews that don’t make it onto Killer Film, and rant about whatever I feel like.