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A "Come to Jesus" meeting today between me and the director of The Nazarene. He called and gave me his final say on the matter: while he liked what I wrote, he's going to pass on my Act II. Keeping my Act I (with some significant changes), but the rest is his pen, his vision.

This was troubling news.

I grew very frank with him very quickly. I told him I was sorry to hear that because, speaking candidly, his scripting was lacking in depth, subtlety, and professionalism. I told him that it was very obviously his first attempt at writing. I told him that he'd handicapped himself by only asking the opinions of friends, family, and those under him. I told him that, should he insist on using his script as it stands now, I'd prefer it if he'd take my name off of it, because I'd rather not attach myself to anything below a certain caliber.

I know. Ouch.

He suggested I rewrite a few lines here and there that he wasn't happy with. "No," I said, "no offense meant, but I've ceased to believe in this project. I've invested enormous amounts of time and energy at this point and I think it's time to cut my losses and move on." I told him that I wish him well (and I do) and that I'll be happy to attend the premiere in December (and I will). No hard feelings. Hope his personal vision is realized.

And blah blah blah.

Believe it or not, though, it was a very civil conversation. No yelling or growling or arguing or any of that. I just laid it out very frankly and, at the end of my discourse, he simply said, "I understand."

Yeah, I feel like a prick. I hate prima donnas and it seems I've become one. All I can say in my own defense is that I think there's a definite value in trusting the opinion of someone more seasoned than yourself in a certain area. I've written and produced many different scripts... I'm no genius and I certainly don't support my family by the pen, but I think it's safe to say that I'd become a better storyteller on my twentieth attempt than I was on my first. Aside from all that, I believe in editorial input. I believe in taking criticism constructively. I believe in eating crow when enough folks say, "I'm sorry, I don't like it and I don't get it." It's part of the game. I don't, however, believe in this.

So, anyhow. I'm very bummed out. I guess that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes. I'd have really liked to have seen that second Act performed.

Sorry, Mo. Hope it's all you'd ever dreamed and more... but, man, I'm out.
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Andy Jewett, a friend from college wrote me yesterday, answering a question I asked in my last entry. He said:

Eric Hiler went to Grace with us (he was couple years ahead of us). He is also the director and star of the musical I will be performing in this weekend… You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Ah ha! I thought I knew that name from somewhere.

Well, whatever the case, good luck playing Schroeder in YAGMCB, Andy. Tickle those ivories like you mean it!
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The winter film blitz is on its way, hard and heavy. I've been nearly film-absent for the last few months, but I intend to catch up soon.

The final Lord of the Rings chapter is beginning to buzz, which is very exciting. Matrix: Revolutions has its trailer up and it looks as though we'll be treated to more of what Matrix: Reloaded gave us: a spectacular piece of cinema with a sub-par script. Some other cool stuff coming out and, man, I do love living in California because it's not hard to find a good indie theater.

But what's up with Star Wars? Does anyone believe in this rubbish anymore? Checked in at the Official Star Wars Website and it seems that you need to buy a $20 subscription to view the news on Star Wars: Episode III, coming out in 2005. Is this a joke? Billion-dollar-movie-franchise-meister George Lucas is asking us to pay him for the privilege of watching him hype his own film? Sorry, George, you've officially ruined everything associated with these movies I loved so much as a kid. Apparently, the only thing more powerful than The Force is cockiness.
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Okay, so this isn't entertainment-related, but a bit of good news/bad news for Carey.

The Good News: she's actually going to get her 5-day work week. Her general manager has promised her Sundays and Mondays off, which is a huge relief. Maybe now she can enjoy a little sanity.

The Bad News: her sane work week comes with a slight demotion. Her responsibilities will remain largely the same, but she's back to being the Banquet and Catering Manager, rather than the Food and Beverage Manager. No pay cuts or anything, but the Powers That Be have decided that they'd rather hire in someone with years of F&B experience.

While Carey's glad, it's a little disappointing. Me, I'm just gald to see her more often, but I'm no stranger to career gut-punches. Anyway, it's their loss. She really would've been great at it.

posted by Jeremy Bear 6:02 PM

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Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Wait, Pandas?

Quick note: managed another one-page script. This one's Koko Four, title credits to Eric Hiler (who's name sounds suspiciously familiar, but I can't recall why...). Thanks, Eric. No, I can't explain it.

I started these one-page scripts about a year and a half ago... they're beginning to feel very strange and foreign and I'll often hammer one out for obligation's sake. Well, that's not completely true. I do still enjoy them, but I feel as if my cleverness is declining. Every once in a blue moon, I'll go back and read several and invariably think, "did I write that? Is that how I sound?" Folks have told me that my writing... my scripts in particular... have a very distinct voice and it's easy to spot. I'm not sure, though. I look at my stuff and much of it seems awful generic. Maybe I do have a very specific sense of humor.

Am I funny? Am I weird? Am I cookie-cutter? Am I memorable?

Am I worrying about this too much?

posted by Jeremy Bear 7:48 PM

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Tuesday, September 23, 2003

How to Waste a Perfectly Good Afternoon

First, call the auto shop that was originally supposed to fix your car before the insurance company declared it a Total Loss. Ask them if they boxed up all the personal items in your trunk before the insurance company towed it off to the Insurance Auto Auction yard. Believe them when they say, oops, we forgot, all your stuff is still in your car and it's now way the heck up in Gardena.

A few weeks later (your first opportunity to drive all the way to Gardena), battle traffic getting to the yard and when you arrive, ask the IAA folks if you can get into your car to clean out your personal stuff. Believe them when they say, sure, we'll have a forklift bring it over, it should only take about five minutes.

A half hour later, when the forklift drops your old car in front of you, open it up to discover the inside completely clean, no personal items in sight. Leave, scratching your head.

Battle traffic again, this time rush-hour. Stop at the auto shop that originally told you they'd forgotten to box up your stuff. Ask them about it and drop your head in defeat when they tell you, oops, maybe we did box it up after all, it's been waiting here all along in Long Beach and we were about to throw it away.

*Growl*
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Cast your eyes to the right and you might see something a little different from the norm. Blogger.com has upgraded their free service, so now I can list all of my weekly blogger archives right on the main page, here. This pleases me to no end. Now, if anyone is bored enough to relive my Jay Leno appearance or the day I battled the devil in my kitchen or Carey's and my traveling-west adventures... now you can click right to it (provided you remember the dates, I guess). Big fun!

Also, I'm very pleased that I can now title my blogs and sort them thusly (note that this entry has a title). Just one more chance to be clever, that's all I'm after.
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You might have noticed the recommended reading on my homepage, The Ring of the Nibelung, adapted by P. Craig Russell. I've been a fan of Russell's work for a long time now and I recently heard an NPR interview with him, promoting an upcoming project of his with writer Neil Gaiman.

Anyhow, I went to his website and posted a message saying how much I enjoyed the interview on the message board there. A couple of days later, he replied:

Hey, thanks for the kind words. Just visited your site and enjoyed the design section in particular. Call me nuts, but page two of Jive Turkey cracked me up. Don't know why...was it just the mood I was in? Lot of nice design work going on there in that section.

(p.s. That little puppy, The Ring Of the Nibelung, took me almost five years, not two, to complete. I WISH I could do 200 pages a year).

-P. Craig Russell

I guess some days start out kind of crappy, what with having to drive back and forth to Gardena for no reason... but, you just never know when you might get home to discover a famous artist you've adored since high school has visited your website and likes your stuff.

Hah.

(Oh, and the 'five year' thing is in reference to a mistake I made in my review of his Nibelung books. It's since been corrected.)

Anyhow, thanks Craig. Truly, you've made my day.

posted by Jeremy Bear 11:42 PM

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Sunday, September 21, 2003

What's the longest you've ever worked without taking a break? Ever worked a seven-day work week? What about ten? Ever gone hog wild and worked fourteen straight days without taking a break?

Yesterday, Carey had the day off. Might not sound all that novel, but the fact is, it's the first day off Carey's had in, that's right, 34 straight days. I'm very serious. Five uninterrupted weeks of work, without so much as a single day to catch her breath (I should also point out that it would have been six straight weeks, but they gave her a single day off for moving into our condo).

Needless to say, Carey was elated to have her one day (which is heartbreaking). I told her that, if it were me, I'd probably just sleep the day away, rent movies, and lay around. After all, she's developed calluses on calluses and painfully swollen feet. Her joints hurt, she's fatigued, and she shows every evidence of being completely and totally burned out.

But, lay around all day? She wouldn't have any part in it.

So, we spent the morning at the Long Beach Art Museum and had lunch on the beach. In the afternoon, she treated herself to a pedicure and we spent the late afternoon shopping for a new stove at a very cool stove-restoration store (which featured fully restored Wedgewood porcelain-and-chrome stoves from the 1950s). Then, on to IKEA, shopping for a specific couch (which was out-of-stock) and patio furniture for our balcony (which was out-of-season) and other little odds and ends for the house. Then we grocery-shopped. We returned home and Carey immediately went to work on the kitchen (which had yet to be finished since our move last month).

It was a full day.

And, now, as I type this on Sunday morning, Carey is about to head back into the breach again. She says she may get another day off soon, but nothing's ever set in stone. It's upsetting. It really is, but at least I got to be with her yesterday.

I've told her to be frank with them about these working conditions. She says she is and she will.

I hope she means it.

posted by Jeremy Bear 11:20 AM

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