MY LIFE AS A FILMMAKER

MASSHOLE PRIDE!

2012-02-06T07:16:00.001-08:00

It is a trying methodology of patience to be a Boston Fan. From The Curse of the Bambino to the Curse of Eli, Boston Fans, Natives and Want to, Working to be Residence like me are grissled with years of countless disappointment with only mild championship relief from the proverbial pain. Yes, the Boston Bruins are the World Champions this year. I'm happy. We are among the elite of clubs over the spectrum of professional sports who may consistently be "winning teams," but I mean how many times do you have to be the best and lose the last game of the season?

This year has been heart breaking to watch and anybody that says, "Bostonians have shit attitudes.... Well, shit like this is why."

Let's start with the 56 and 26 Atlantic Division First Place Celtics sweeping the Knicks in the 2011 Playoffs only to turn around and get mauled by the Miami Heat Circus. This was almost warranted. Garnett, Pierce, Allen, O' Neal, let's face it, their butter days were behind them and they had honestly been inconsistent all year despite what their record said.

I was OK with that. But then what happened in September culminating on the 28th would be the first of two horrible moments in my sports year.

I watched as Boston was one out away from heading to the playoffs even if they had blown a nine game lead on the Devil Rays for the playoffs fading to 7-19 in the final 26 or so games. All they had to do was beat the Baltimore Orioles. The third out never came as Papelbon gave up a double to Chris Davis. Then Crawford missed a single to left and that was the end of it.

Ryan and I quickly changed the channel to the Tampa/New York Game because, "OF COURSE," Tampa had rallied from 7 down to the Yankees who were already in and could care less anyways. It was the bottom of the twelve, four minutes after we had stomached Boston's Epic Collapse exactly when Evan Longoria hit the walk off home run and sent themselves to the post season and sent us packing for home.... It was a terrible terrible night. I guess the Rays had paid the Sox back for the Bruins knocking the Lightning out of the Stanley Cup Finals....

The only thing that kept me at this point from coming out of my skin was that yes.... My Patriots were looking good.... Course they always did which was part of the problem and little did I know that five months later, (last night,) I would feel like I felt that night as I watched Number three from the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field circle the bases with his hands in the air.

As disappointing as it was to watch Brady and the Patriots crumble against the NY Jets last year in the Divisional Playoffs, nothing was worse than watching Super Bowl XLII happen all over again... And know it was going to. I had posted on twitter early yesterday afternoon a botched prediction that Patriots would beat the Giants 31-24.... It was not true to myself. I had a pit in my stomach all day. I knew the outcome would be the same as it was in 2007. Who was I fooling and my fellow Boston Colleagues I had not argued with when they said, "Nah, they won't lose to them again. It's a different setup this time around." I had simply smiled and agreed. I knew it would come down to Eli Manning making a crazy play and us making an incredible mistake. The Patriots' one turnover would not be that mistake.... (Although the interception and the safety, were missed attempts at points.) No it would be something you would never see and hopefully never see again..... Maybe it was the Baltimore Curse.... I mean the Orioles had in fact, back a fall ago thrown us out of MLB Playoffs with a throw away game and well.... Had all but given us the tickets to Super Bowl XVII with Cundiff's Scott Norwood Wide Right Miss of a game tying field goal....

No.... It was what happened in the middle of those two plays. Flacco would bomb a ball into EX-BILLS receiver LEE EVANS' arms as he hit the end zone. All he had to do was protect it and it was a touchdown. Sterliing Moore stripped it saving the Patriots from falling behind. But at that Moment, the Baltimore Curse had been bestowed on us again....

That same lack of ball security Lee Evans showed and I laughed about all week after is exactly what beat the Patriots this time around against the Giants. Wes Welker who never "bobbles" a pass yet lost the most important one thrown to him all season. And then in the final drive, Aaron Hernandez did the same thing. These guys don't miss. These guys catch their balls but when it really mattered like the Celtics and Red Sox before them, they shit the bed.

Now we go home having been beat by New York yet again and the aura of the most hated team in the league becomes the most humiliating as well. Finish the game boys. Another season of excellence erased by a couple minutes of stupidity is what we are all about. And I guess that's the way it is going to forever be.

Go MASS! Gimme a gun with one bullet in it!!!! Bring on Opening Day and another year of Boston Sports Misery. YAH!

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

10 Rules

2011-12-06T19:02:00.001-08:00

Ten Rules of a Video Camera. (The Most Basic)

1. Gain should always be on 0db

2. Don't EVER talk behind the camera.... (Unless it's warranted AND don't yell or be drunk)

3.Keep Camera AS STILL AS POSSIBLE

4. Avoid "Milky"/"Grainy" shots

5. Don't shoot a conversation from behind the subjects where.... like you are shooting the back of their heads

6. Make sure your audio is on and a little more advanced than that.... Make sure it's good.

7. Stay on a shot even if it sucks for more than 4 seconds

8. Panning shots don't work if you don't have a point A and B.

9. Zoomed all the way in with hand held shots... Ummmm.... Not a good idea if you suck at it.

10. MAKE SURE YOUR SHOTS ARE IN FOCUS.... (THERE IS AN AUTO FOCUS SWITCH)

IF YOU CAN'T RUN CAMERA.............. DON'T.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Minimalistic Inspiration in Complex Troubled Times

2011-11-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

(I have omitted the bio of who I am, as anybody reading this knows, who I am.)

The world of production in the life of Garrick Lane had been somewhat frantic from July to the beginning of October. Hanging on by a thread in all categories of his life he says, his work maybe at the very end of the thread. Where he felt he was rushing through and "half assing" his shows, he was being told he was doing his best work to date. Yet the money was scarce, so was the time he had. By mid August, he was looking for ways to break his fingers so that he wouldn't have to edit. The projects were backing up but his burn out was going ahead as planned.

"I could not so much, as remember what I liked about this work. I felt that because of where I was geographically, on top of the evil economic blizzard we were all freezing through, there was no reason to continue trying to do this for a living. My personal life had taken a turn and I just suddenly realized that the rockstar lifestyle I had lived since my wife and I split may not accomodate the situation that may end up being, so maybe it was time to hang it up and become a Regular Joe," Garrick explained.

He had a point. Corporate America had all but abolished the smaller production companies by craiglisting any film student with a camera to go out and shoot templated, "stock" internet videos promoting a company's business and because of the big name, big business cloaks they hid behind with their social media status' and lingo would lure these small companies into big money contracts yet pay the videographer/editor minimal next to the company employers who simply sat behind a desk and made phone calls.

"They took the art out of the artist. They buried the creativity in what we do, by placing a mandatory format on an unorthodox medium," Garrick went on to say. "There was no beating the system. There IS no beating the system. The Yellow Pages do not take videos that are not produced by their own contractors, meaning, a company can not come to me and say, we want a better video than the ones these guys are producing so we want to hire you because I have to tell them that I can't if the yellow page search engines is where they want it to end up."

The end was near he felt. The run was over and why not, he wasn't big enough to be placed on the advertising agency lists and the calls for the big jobs out of state were not incoming anymore because budgets began to dwindle as the recession worsened, leaving the line item of "travel expense," out of the equation.

Garrick found himself at trucking docks applying for ten dollar an hour jobs and getting them but realizing that it would never be enough. He found himself begging friends for a normal job, in which they all turned him away, because like they all knew, there was no profession they would be able to tolerate their friend doing besides the one he had been working on for twenty years.

"Times were confusing. Life was at a stand still for the first time that I could remember."

Then a break. A call from a gentleman at a Nashville production company that was responsible for producing some of the rising country music talent's videos. A meeting would be planned for late October with no avail of what would be offered if anything. It was in fact at the time, (and still is,) the best thing he had on his plate and if nothing else, hope.

Then an epiphany elsewhere, or maybe a risk that would ruin him, his credit and his life forever. The last risk he took had paid off even if comparing it to those troubled days in late summer of 2011 was short lived.

"It was quit or expand. It was that simple," Garrick said with nearly a concerned if not worried look on his face.

With a blessing from his mentor and only opinion that had ever mattered, his father, Garrick complicated his life by taking the loan. A big loan that would make or break it all. If he did not succeed, all of his assets would be liquidated leaving him only with what he started in 1996 with: His blue pencil and steno pad.

The loan was not an easy decision. He had to choose whether to limit his arsenal and sink money into advertising or put the advertising on hold and bulk up his equipment list hoping the equipment list would lead to bloated budgeted jobs which would then lead to more profit to advertise.

"I was ordering my girlfriend flowers on a plane to LA and somehow, I decided in the midst of deciding which bouquet to buy which way I was going to go. Yeah, kind of weird. Flowers, Camera Gear, Camera Gear, Flowers, don't know the connection."

He opted for the asset route deciding to take on the advertising with the first couple of bigger productions he was going to use his reputation to get. Three days later, the equipment was ordered before he had left his business in Los Angeles.

"Upon returning, I went straight to my girlfriends house. I remember being so scared but trying really hard to keep her from knowing considering her future if I had anything to do with it, was going to be a part of the decision I had just made," Garrick jokingly stated."I remember walking into my house the next morning and just turning to my edit bay in the corner of the big room and staring at it for a minute. I knew from this moment on, I would have to do something to get rid of the funk."

Garrick had built on an extra room at his house as his office refusing to bloat his business account with added overhead that was never needed. What he did not do is plan the room very well. Garrick had no vampire blood in his body. He commented that if he could live in a glass house with no shades on the windows and get away with it, he would. The new room was dark, carpeted, with merely one window. The track lighting assisted in illumination but the corner where his desk was might as well had been a dark rubber room.

"I thought.... This is the problem. It just came to me. It was my surroundings that were affecting my concentration, inspiration and drive."

The house had to be dealt with immediately. His list of To-Dos from his better half had already consumed an additional expo board on the refrigerator but Garrick bypassed those as it wasn't long after his return from LA and his "intervention," that him and his girlfriend had decided to step back a bit due to reasons Garrick refuses to discuss.

The thought was simple even if it made no sense. Garrick's children were now no longer full time at his house as they were three months prior. He had gone from Full Time Dad to Disney Land Weekend Dad nearly overnight so his kids were only there on the weekends which were normally consumed by birthday parties, cook outs and anything but sitting inside. Garrick had realized switching the addition room with the living room would actually be (although not aesthetically pleasing,) exactly what the doctor ordered. The living room had wood floors and one wall was nothing but window with the opposite side of the room being a sliding glass door leading to an open back porch.

With all his expansion money used he would have to slowly build his office into something of a control room. With the newest fastest editing tower on the market in route to his house, his plan was to basically renovate his house to accomodate for the change. The rooms were gutted. Furniture was destructed to be removed. Within three days his garage had become an image you would see on a re-run of Sanford and Son.

He put his field edit bay on the kitchen table facing the sliding glass door and sat down in a wooden dining chair and began trying to reconnect with his inner demons.

"I would edit at that table until my ass hurt, then go to the gym and come back and sit on the couch and bid for jobs. Then I would repeat the process eliminating the gym the second and third time through."

Slowly but surely he found a rhythm. Work began to get finished again but monies still thirty day net away from his grasp so renovation resources were not at the top of the list.

"So my bedroom was gutted, the old office gutted, and my living room gutted. There was literally a sofa, an old desk that would not fit a Nintendo console on it and a light on the floor in this room."

Televisions had all but been removed from the house months before with the exception of one in the kids room strictly for movies. Garrick as complex of a man he was, had never delved in luxuries such as LCD televisions, X Boxes, or fancy appliances. That lack of complexity was about to reach another level.

With the shows being approved one after another the work load was getting too much for one editing bay, so despite the new desks, second and third playback monitors not being at the top of the order list as Garrick climbed out of the financial trench, the new edit bay would have to be utilized. He had been doing all of his editing on his 15 inch MacBook Pro on the kitchen table because it was easy to pack up and move for family time and food when the kids were there. He was doing all his business from his juice stained sofa, feet away on his 13 inch MacBook Pro with his email and Skype account. These were easy machines to move out of harms way. Bringing in a tower, one that cost as much as a car, was risky until the proper furniture was allocated, but it wasn't long before Garrick realized he had no choice. He set up the Ferrari of a editing system on that small desk with its feet dangling over each edge. With not enough room to even add a second monitor Garrick threw the system to the wolves. Without the new electrical situation handled he had to also literally run a drop chord from the hallway to power this piece of machinery. He was smart to place the computer in the center of the wall so it could also pose as a TV for the kids' movie time.

This computer would now be the main editing bay with the lap top being the delivery, mastering, and uploading device for the time being.

Within all this, the work began piling up as much as it was going out which led to yet a third editing bay being utilized only this time, Garrick cleared his artist desk and rolled it to the corner of the room and placed his older system in there so he could go from one to the other if a client called for recuts. Now, money was rolling in but there was no time to go furniture shopping or even fathom the idea of taking a couple days off to paint, furnish and wire his new "office," or his room or refurbish his new room. He was spending what little time he had with his girlfriend on their new policy of "less is more," working out and being Dad but during work hours, it was from kitchen chair to wooden stool to sofa in a bare room where you had to watch your step of the sea of drop chords and surge protectors that riddled the floor.

"I had almost gotten used to this minimalistic approach to my work. It was like being back in college with my edit bay in the floor of my bedroom. One monitor. One tower and a DV deck. It had almost left no distractions."

Garrick then went another step in losing his distractions by dropping his facebook and other social networking tools he had once used to occupy self-promotion only leaving his twitter account because in his words, "there was no not tweeting in his future." The website reconstruction, press packs, design had been put on the back burner as it had became strictly shooting and editing. The turnaround went from 6 weeks to 3 with minimal recuts being requested.

Bigger Contracts began to call again. Old clients called for more of Garrick's magic that kept him in a holding pattern on his plans to renovate or make the office functional. The days passed. The wooden chair got harder and harder but nothing changed the steady and consistent workflow.

Then a setback, that ended up being one of the best things that had happened. At the peak of this marathon run, Garrick had literally cut three shows in three days, delivered 4 spots to various television stations, written his script for his next short film venture, put in place a new design for his company's website and single handedly booked a gig on everyday of the month of November... Well, minus 4 days. Last minute a show in Florida had been postponed leaving Garrick 4 unclaimed days that had not for once been used for even backup days for another show. It was a perfect time to do what he really needed to do, which was finally put the office back together and make it what some people would call efficient again. Garrick ignored that idea pulling a film he shot 3 years ago out of the moth balls and had not in all that time been able to allot for concentrated time to cut it. Maybe a lot due to the editing fatigue he had been experiencing for the past two years. Only Garrick knows, but not this week, for he sits in his empty room on a break watching a movie on his laptop that is resting on the arm of his sofa while he eats chicken and vegetables on a plate resting on a stool. One editing bay exporting a recut of of an ESPN pilot, the other, half way through a rough cut of his film, Another Night In America.

"I know this minimalistic lifestyle can't last forever but for now it's working and I almost don't want to change it. I have wings for the first time since last April. Things are meshing."

Breaks consist of eating or getting back to the guitar which during the burn out was never so much as touched.

"It's like I've escaped the normal routine for this hotel room some where, cut off from the real world, even though I haven't gone anywhere. I come in here, cut my phone on silent, sit on this viciously uncomfortable chair and blow through my obligations. The intergrity in my work has never been better. The work is real. It is almost organic and I look forward to doing it again. I don't want to change a thing right now. In two days, I will have for the first time, erased every show on my project expo board and that's a huge step in my company's growth."

And he has done it all himself. From Producing the show on his sofa to escaping to the real world to capture it on celluloid only quickly returning to his living room to cut and finish the magic, he is doing what some people have 6 employees and an oversized office full to do. In Garrick's office there are no cubicles, 70 inch plasma televisions, fancy business cards, or multiple facebook pages full of pretentious "likes." There are 3 computers in an empty room with a sofa, some light shining in and on the weekends The Lion King playing from the Millenium Falcon, (he has come to call the new Ferrari of an editing bay.)

"I'm going to enjoy this for as long as I can. If and when the better part of me decides she wants to complicate her life by moving in here.... This little setup will surely be first to go," Garrick laughs nearly falling off his stool.

Words and Pictures by FP

UNTITLED - SCENE 67

2011-08-31T08:31:00.001-07:00

The Reason for The Simple Man

See the full gallery on Posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

To Do

2011-08-22T19:17:00.001-07:00

-I'm SOMEWHERE on my Phone

CASTING CALL - R&B MUSIC VIDEO

2011-08-18T07:03:00.001-07:00

ROADHOUSE PICTURES - CASTING CALL

ATTRACTIVE LEADING LADY FOR R & B MUSIC VIDEO

TO BE SHOT IN MID-SEPTEMBER.

LOCATION: HICKORY

AGE: 18-28

ETHNICITY: ANY

EMAIL YOUR HEADSHOT OR PICS TO:

manwiththecam@roadhousepictures.com

(It may sound sexist, but PLEASE be attractive. You have seen these videos before.... You know what we are looking for!)

THANX

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Rap Video Treatment - September Shoot

2011-08-17T13:31:00.003-07:00

No frills to my treatment writing, yet they continue to get passed through! Steno Pad and all!

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Rap Video Treatment - September Shoot

2011-08-17T13:31:00.001-07:00

No frills to my treatment writing, yet they continue to get passed through! Steno Pad and all!

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

My beautiful baby being me

2011-08-01T07:30:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

And here we go.

2011-07-24T10:18:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Untitled

2011-07-22T17:04:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Untitled

2011-07-22T14:37:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Untitled

2011-07-22T14:07:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Twitter Shots with Retro Camera

2011-07-19T18:42:00.001-07:00

Twitter Shots with Retro Camera, a set on Flickr.

My Week Vacation

Where It All Started....

2011-06-16T16:45:00.001-07:00

$500, a dying format, a camera that was barely operational and one of the coldest nights of the year produced the film that gave me my first acclaim and paved the way for the fastest growing production company in the south east

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Nine Years To Live - Update

2011-05-10T07:48:00.001-07:00

It's been five maybe six months since I began the change of my "way of life." It' s been the best thing that's ever happened to me, although it's given plenty of everyday set backs as well.

In the grand scheme of things, I look 70 times better and feel 200 times better. I began at a soft pudgy 215 and now I'm a semi chiseled 195. Didn't want to drop that much weight. I wanted to "bulk up" but after trimming up and realizing how limber, quicker and stronger I was getting I quickly decided that lean and tight was better than "big and meaty." I'm 37, so now my knack for burning fat isn't near as efficient as it once was and big controlled forced burns of fat were hard to accomplish until about month four because I had smoked for so for so many years and just couldn't get very good quality cardio minutes without keeling over or barfing in the bathroom. Getting more than 20 minutes of cardio would probably have sent me into cardiac arrest.

I decided to compensate the lack of cardio use by cutting the calories to 4000, (down from 5000,) and utilized long steady sweats on the heavy bag and jump rope. I found this actually very effective as my waist line gradually began to shrink and as my waist line began to shrink, my cardio spurts got longer and longer until I was running 2 miles just to break a sweat. A lot of this I can contribute to Chuck Mason at Snap Fitness who showed me 3 easy exercises that would just blast your fat and continue to burn it even long after you left the gym.

1) Jump Rope

2) Static Platform Leaps

3) Shadow Boxing with Bands

Within a month of doing this, I had more wind and noticed a huge difference in my body. Veins were popping out. Muscle fibers were visible even without flexing. It was the "result" everybody looks for to get them over the hump.

My diet, simple and redundant.

Breakfast

1.Protein Pancakes

2. Orange

3. Yogurt

4. Occasional eggs and liver mush

Lunch

1.Turkey Burgers/Sandwich

2. STARCH

3. Apple

Supplemental Meal

1. Protein Shake

Dinner

1. 3 breasts of chicken/turkey sausage

2. Pasta/Veggies

3. Some of whatever the kids were having

My work out - 2 Muscle groups a day

Forearms and Abs once a week, sometimes twice.

I still have a long way to go and I'm not where I wanted to be at this point but nevertheless a very big improvement from where I was last October.

Now, here are some of the set backs and compromises, I have had to endure to get where I am....

1) Budget - My budget for this has become three times as bloated since before.

1)FOOD - I am having to keep the refrigerator stocked and had to plan my workouts to follow a meal because I have found if I don't have fuel my workouts suffer. I am also having to cook two dinners. One for the kids and one for me which has made me lock off more time to do so and more money to cover the "spread." Eating healthy costs about average $60.00 more a week than the old days of debauchery and fast food.

2)TIME - Killed me... When I have kids, I only get from 8am to 3:30pm and now I have them full time so it's grueling to keep any kind of routine besides theirs. I chose to go to Snap Fitness when I first made the plunge. (24 miles from my house,) This in itself has become a problem. My business has really picked and my work is deadline based so time to edit is 70% of my work and I don't get paid until I finish. With that said, I am sacrificing an already short work day.

Including round trip, about two hours of my day. This not only over a week effects the time between paychecks but also cuts into time to do laundry, mow, clean house, and now five months in, (on the books,) I see it has really "disrupted," my workflow, finances and time.

3)Budget II-

With the price of gas sky rocketing to $4.00 a gallon the trip to the gym is not only eating up my time, but also eating up my dough. I'm spending nearly fifty dollars a week, I go 5 times a week just to get to the gym. Which breaks down to about $10 a day, I'm burning to get to the gym and back.

This right now is not working. I have the kids full time right now so my Budget at home is bloated and the cost of my "change of life," is costing me about the same, so my plan from here is continue with the building of the 9 Year Gym and actually work out from the house 3 days a week and go to the gym 2 days a week. I figure with the amount I am spending on gas going back and forth over the course of time will pay for the $2000 investment of the weights that I never bought, because for a little while it seemed more rational just to take my rump shaker to the facility. Now.... Not so much....

My work out is that of a Boxers at this point. Toning, Stamina, Fat Burning, so your basic Run, Jump Rope, Heavy Bag cover the cardio and weight training is all 3 sets of long reps so it can be accomplished anywhere I can find about 90 - 130 pounds of weight minus the legs that obviously would be covered on my Gym Days.

Key Points of my Nine Years To Live:

1) Can not remember the last time I ate fast food.

2) My Energy levels are through the roof which means I'm able to utilize a lot more of time because I never sit and I never wear out.

3) My Mentality and attitude is largely improved which has shown in parenting, work, relationships.

4) Self-Esteem - Well.... I've never really had a problem with that, but I feel, it shows through on other people now. For instance, I'm taken more serious because when I walk in a room now, I look like I am "A Bad Ass," that takes good care of himself which in turn makes the "client" relieved.

5) The flexability, agility, and stamina I once had as a 14 year old is back.

6) I'm gonna' live forever. I'm never gonna' die..... Or at least I think that for the moment.

See the full gallery on Posterous

So I look ridiculous in this first picture but you can see the definition in my arms and chest that has formed and even my chicken neck is slowly disappearing.

The second picture- ummmmm, would never happen or even dream of happening had I not chosen to work on my speed, reflex, stamina, flexability.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

A Statement On Pirating

2011-04-13T07:20:00.001-07:00

I acquired a "pirated" copy of Foo Fighters' new album a week before its release. I was asked if I wanted it.... Of course I said yes. Not because I didn't want to pay for it, but because I wanted to listen to it in my car. The band was streaming the album on their website but I do so much driving a copy would be great for the car.

BUT, I was first in line yesterday at Best Buy to actually purchase the CD, (see picture,) despite the fact I already had it. In my profession and many others, if we don't get paid for "our art," we can't do it. It's that simple. If people could still the videos I make then my kids would starve. Artists are paid for their work.

The Music Industry is much like mine. Artists are given an advance from the record company to pay for their album and pay their bills while they sink themselves into a studio to make their album. The advance rarely lasts more than five months. From there, they get a percentage or royalties of their record sales and live shows that they do and this is what they live on until the next album which could be a year or two later. Some bands are forced to add 20 to 40 grueling nights of live shows to stay a float. If people are not buying their album OR WORSE STEALING IT, they are not making any money. If people aren't going to see them live, they are not making any money.

With so many people IN TO MUSIC yet stealing it from the very artists they admire, the wheels of a better economy are not turning. It's simple mathematics. If everything is giving out for free then there is no return which means there's that much less money to put into the next album you "can't wait to hear," or better yet steal.

I'm proud to say, I've pissed away thousands and thousands of dollars on records, be it they sucked or have been masterpieces. I have 1300 actual purchased songs from iTunes alone. Yes, that money could have been used for many other things, but I have a stereo system in 5 of the 7 rooms in my house. Music is what keeps me moving and smiling. My daughter is 5 and jams to Wolfmother with me. It's the way we live. Music is a lifestyle in my household. I would never steal it only see to it personally, it prospers. A song is .99 on Itunes. One dollar people..... An album is 14 bucks-- 3 Bud Lights and a tip at a bar.

Keep the world going around..... BUY YOUR MUSIC. SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE BAND. DO NOT PIRATE YOUR MUSIC AND IF YOU DO, DON'T CALL YOURSELF "A BIGGEST FAN." Fans don't bite the hands that feed them.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Latest Music Video Project

2011-04-10T07:09:00.001-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

A Statement

2011-03-26T12:22:00.001-07:00

There’s been a lot of speculation as to what Garrick has been doing for the past five months. My close friends will tell you, I’ve fallen off the face of the earth. I’ve heard my OCD has gotten the best of me and I’m afraid to leave my house. I’ve heard I’m off the wagon, indulging on stimulants and all night edits. I’ve even heard that I’m back with my wife and am afraid to come out with it.

I’ve heard it all. Yes, my OCD has been in “rare form,” lately as the stress of my business growing in leaps and bounds has begin lingering like the flu. It is still nothing I cannot handle even if there are days I clean the house twice. The other reasons are not even close.

The truth is: For years I reveled in being in the limelight and finding a way to somehow be the center of attention even going so far as to get myself in trouble just to make “headlines.” I spent years trying to keep that image up and it was exhausting. I ruined relationships, friendships and my background slip being “that guy.” I loved parties and making appearances. It wasn’t me. It was my quest for acceptance after a long stint at a boarding school where too, I didn’t fit in so well.

It may be “shoddy” of me to say, but I get quite annoyed with the bullshit talk over beers or the late night card game. To me, it’s counter productive. I’ve never owned a Playstation nor an XBox not because I don’t think it’s cool, but I just feel there are other things I can be doing with my time.

I’m 36 and I’ve had my fun. I’ve had my women. I’ve had my time in the limelight and now it’s time to get down to business of living the life I dreamed about having when I was simply screwing off and talking about it.

I’ve given many people opportunities to be a part of “my small little business,” only to be disappointed by the countless mistakes and excuses for the mistakes. I’ve squandered a ton of scratch paying people to allow me to fix and redo their mess over and over and continued to allow it because I felt a need to keep people working to survive this horrible economic state we are in.

What many people fail to realize is that I ate shit and took it on my knees for over eight years for no pay, no respect and no “perks,” with absolutely no “help” from mentors, peers in the business, or any kind of avenue with the exception of the great Mike McDaniel in Orlando, Florida. The “Chi” wasn’t found for a long time and even then wasn’t handed to me. I had to bust my ass to get it, so looking at me with your hand out wanting something from me with your year of experience only shows me just how lazy people are in general.

You can sit in front of facebook and click the “LIKE” button all day and update your RSVP’s to a bunch of stuff that isn’t really relevant and feel good about the fact that “viral advertising,” is where it’s at if it helps you but let’s be honest. Facebook is a front. It is a lie. People don’t care what you’re doing or selling. The only way to get the “quwan” is to do it and do it well. That’s the only marketing you will ever need- Being great.

The only reason I’ve posted up everything on Facebook this last year is because I separated from my wife a year ago and lawyers use facebook to argue in court on custody of children. (THAT’S A FACT.) So posting up my every move was a way to document that I was a single father out there working his tits off to feed his kids.

You wanna’ do what I do? Get some gear and go do it. Learn how to shoot a camera and go take on scores you can handle. Don’t tell me you want to learn but put family bbqs, partying, girls and other crap in front of it.

With that said, I’ve been doing the same thing I was doing 4 years ago. Only now I’ve trimmed the fat. I have kids to feed and have to figure out how to continue doing what I love to do on a grander scale. Your money problems are not my problems. I’m not obligated to put you to work. I’m not obligated to come “hang out,” with you at some bar. I’m not obligated to do anything but be me. You want to find me: I’m at the office, in the park with the kids, on a business call, looking for a business loan, searching for a building to open a gym in, listening to music, playing the guitar,working out, planning a birthday party, doing laundry, researching the latest trends of my trade, and with a little luck finding time to write my next film.

I was in a relationship for seven years where every move I made, every decision I stuck to and every dream I had was scrutinized by people who fed on my failures. Everything I did was “aiming too high,” or “ignorant to do with kids,” so forgive me if for now I’m catching up on some ME time.

And as far as, “Garrick promised me this?”......

I didn’t promise you anything. I said, “Hey, I’m gonna go do this. You want to go?” It was up to you put forth the effort to keep up because as “arrogant” as it sounds, unfortunately I can do it without you. I would appreciate a little less judgement as to why Garrick is being a “dick.” I’m not a dick. Just living my life and doing it my way. You wanna’ spend sometime with me, put your work boots on and find me.

Thanks.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Raw Truth in Austin

2011-03-15T22:35:00.001-07:00

So here is my assessment of the ever "overhyped" SXSW film festival. Pretention runs amuck even worse than the other Geek/Pretention Circle Jerk in Utah. This festival has to be, (and this an honest opinion from a guy with all access, not a disgruntled dude who hasn't blown anybody therefore has not been able to do anything,) the biggest cluster duck I have ever had the misfortune of being crewed for. There is no access to anything..... Even the poor naive peeps who pay $1250 for what they call the "Platinum Badge," that well, gives them absolutely nothing but a lanyard get nothing but a slim chance to see something maybe cool.

In order to see a film, even with full access you have to get in line at least 2 hours in advance which kinda' sucks considering you are missing the countless 20 minute "panels," IPAD 2 giveaways at the trade shows and the buffet line that is completely impromptu'd at the Microsoft Booth. The week is jammed packed with a bunch of great stuff you will never see and while your recent purchase of your faggedy ass IPAD 2 at the Apple Store on Congress pre-installed with your bloated interactive SXSW schedule, may help kick you in the face showing you that you've missed a great band that is playing this minute in a bar that is a 30 minute walk away, it gives you nothing but an impossible curriculum to a damn near impossible festival that only has one certainty.... It ends on Thursday at 6pm sharp and YOU will head back to the Austin Airport unfulfilled and $7000 poorer than you were. (You should have gone to Vegas. You may have had a better chance there.)

But no worries.... It will give you an excuse to get rid of those pretentious Chuck Taylors you bought just to look cool at the show because you will have to have some room in your suitcase for all the un eco friendly brochures and magazines about nothing you collected or better yet, the plastic footballs, usb sticks, and stupid little green cubes you can do nothing with and will be trashed once you get home and realize you have just been takened for a whole lot of money that you could have just bought the technology these AHOLES just spent whacking your ears off about.

Tweets mean shit people.... Nobody cares... I thought it was cool too for about 5 hours.... Then I realized I'm nobody.... I'm a nobody who paid $3 for a bottled water, $50 for a steak, and couldn't even get a schedule being a camera geek paid to shoot the "events," of SXSW? Events? What events? I missed them all running around trying to catch one of them. You can tweet "@SXSW" all you want, it doesn't give you access to the movies, music or anything else. It gives you nothing but the idea that you are connecting with a bunch of other "people like you," and you are right. You are connecting with people like you..... The lost souls like me that think that "tweeting" is some form of being cool or "being in." Newsflash..... Gotten you no where but made the people behind SXSW fucking millionaires. Like a Fan Page of some new hosting server and get some discount you're never gonna' use. Get on that email list so you can get SPAMMED some more in one of your seven email address accounts. I especially like the ones who call themselves "CREATIVE DIRECTORS" or better yet, "CEOS" yet their email address is "fiascoproductions@gmail.com." You are a CEO and have no dedicated email.... ? Ol, wait, you don't even have a site for your so called business, yet you do have a great business card that you are putting in a jar to win a free Tshirt? You tweet about some business so you could get a Dos Equis and think you are cool.... ? This my friends IS "being cool." This my friends is being one of the "lucky ones" at a "film festival." .... Seriously, no thanks. Call me Charlie Sheen as I bite the hand that feeds me but all this week is is a money pit for people who think they are a "part of something." You aren't. You are a nobody.

Just like me. You are the dumb ass behind me in the line who's getting ready to be told you don't have the "pink pass," therefore cannot enter. You are the guy who too will be forced to spend ten dollars on a grilled cheese and soda. You too are the guy who will run your phone battery out tweeting about meeting Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows like me and realize it didn't make a crap box difference to anybody.... But then in two weeks when the aura is gone you'll spend two weeks unsubscribing to all those companies and movies that promised you Ipad giveaways, backpacks and God knows what else and you will also realize that you are no closer financially to buying anything that you saw there...

But you'll be able to talk about what you saw and act like somebody cool talking about "the new gear you've seen and used".... And I guess that to you will be priceless.... To me.... Means nothing as does the technology.... Because if you don't know how to use it, it all means "nothing," just like this festival, my small to nil paycheck and the aura of trying to be cool does.

Retweet this useless tirade: @SUXSW using the hash tags #gonad #tweetdick #facedoushe

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Office At Full Capacity Tonight

2011-03-08T18:25:00.001-08:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Why I Love My Job

2011-03-07T18:26:00.001-08:00

The cool part of my job is watching things materialize. What may start as a sketch or a paragraph on a hotel note pad may turn into a fantastic piece of film, (or may be the worst.) Either way what starts as merely an idea ends in something that may entertain a lot of people. This is perfect example.

We were shooting a tattoo parlor and an idea to do an old time PSA from the 50's about how "tattoos are bad," just popped in my head. Kenny Davis and Chris Sepulveda wrote a great script for it.

I contacted Edd Robinson and begged him to do the spokesman role. Many people thought after looking at the script that it was a bit, "cinematic," instead of "old preacher from Linkerton County." So I took their script and rewrote it, "country-frying," it a little to better suit the material. Two pages it in my journal and typed it up.

Sent it Edd and he loved it! We shot it in an hour and half. This is the final piece without the commercial attached to the end of it.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Time Warner Arena - CIAA Tournament

2011-03-06T18:32:00.001-08:00

Minutes before I stepped into work Friday Night.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Pet Project Begins....

2011-02-26T11:47:00.001-08:00

The Initial Read of the Book to get my head around the material and block the film out of my mind. Then the play.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Writing Bug This Weekend

2011-02-13T13:59:00.001-08:00

Probably Going to Hell, but this was how bad it was. These are notes while waiting for the service to begin. I had no scratch paper so I had to use what was there.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

My Stomping Ground

2011-02-12T10:37:00.001-08:00

just random shots I catch driving around. They are not special.... To you... To me they give me a specific look of something to come. Something not quite materialized. A thought, an idea.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Devotion Tattoo Setup

2011-02-12T10:28:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite parts of the process. I think it goes back to my drawing and how much I love to do it.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Chapter Five - Fiber Shredding and Workout Plan - Nine Years To Live (Commentary)

2011-01-16T18:20:00.001-08:00

You don’t know how out of shape you are until you start running and I’m not talking about a stair climber or treadmill. I’m talking about actually shoe to road pounding.

I always hated cardio. Course I was a smoker so running was my least “tangible” way of getting fit. I had cut smoking out three weeks prior to stretching my legs for the first time to do the “unthinkable.” I knew I couldn’t expect much and it was a good thing. I made it about two and half home lengths before I was buckled over gasping for air. Then I walked two and half houses then would run for a house length then repeat process. I was frustrated that I wasn’t getting further but accepted that it was a work in progress.

Within a month of this process, I was doing a mile before falling to my knees and was managing two miles on a treadmill.

I had always been fascinated with Bruce Lee’s philosophy, and mind. I had adapted his philosophy of mind and body after my wife had left. I had already adapted his philosophy on work years before. I had read some of his early writings and after High School adapted the art of “writing everything into words,” until present. Bruce Lee may be the reason I write so much to be honest. His raw approach to how he studied and worked his trait, I also carried over to my life too.

My camera work and editing comes from his philosophy of, “Be water. Be shapeless and formless in your approach.” There is no “format.” This practice has helped my company be successful with the diverse jobs we do. One day a corporate detailed infomercial, the next day I’m on a skateboard following kids off a flight of stairs, the next day, we’re making a film. I become the job I was doing as Bruce taught me to do.

Now his philosophy on training may be a little far fetched for me. His workouts obviously involved a lot of martial arts. Sure if I was going to do it then, “DO IT,” but at this venture into the journey, just rebuilding and then building from the rebuild would be the primary goal.

Here was a typical work out day for the legend to give you an idea of why, I wouldn’t be able to adapt to this.

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]

Have you seen Rocky? Well hitting a big slab of beef may look over dramatic but I can assure you it is murder. The same concept goes for a heavy bag. Even the best of shape will feel their body’s fail after ten minutes of forcing themselves on to it.

Heavy Bag

There were a million ways to approach and work a heavy bag: Combos, straights, hooks, one handers, whatever. To start I just punched the crap out of it. As I started seeing results I toned it down a bit, working on technique. This consisted of one handed taps using each fist until my shoulders melted off my body. I found this method although not as “active,” worked my body even more thoroughly.

Jump Rope

This was another high cardio anytime kind of workout. Even if you are new to jump rope and only manage 10 to 15 rotations before tripping up, it was a great “in between” exercise I could do whenever I found a couple of minutes.

Speed Bag

Not much of a heart worker but great for hand eye coordination and shredding your, (shoulders and biceps,) with optimal work.

Underneath the new layers and fat pockets on my mass of waste, there was muscle. I wasn’t starting from scratch so I guess from a “vanity” point of view, it wouldn’t take but six months to get back to where I was. I was ten years older though so muscle memory may be a little slower. Within the first 30 days I began noticing a difference. Of course, I was bombarding a haggard body with force it had not with stood in a long time. My workouts were clean. There were rare times, “I didn’t feel like doing anything, ” and those were usually days where I had been sleep deprived from some random wake ups by my restless son in the middle of the night.

My workout plan faltered many times due to time. I was logically only allowed about an hour and a half to devote to my new way of life at an actual facility. Twenty five minutes would be devoted to running so that gave me an hour for “fiber shredding.”

My original plan from many moons ago was a three day spread.

[[posterous-content:pid___1]]

But I also would work out 6 days a week because well... I had nothing better to do. Now that I had a business to run and a couple of kids to keep straight even 5 days would be stretching my limits. The challenge was to try and get all muscle groups in twice a week leaving the weekend to rest.

Sure I don’t get all of them in but my weak point, (chest and shoulders,) get the commitment needed.

[[posterous-content:pid___2]]

On Day 1 Workout, I do all machine builds. The stress isn’t quite as bad making me less sore the day after but the Day 4 workout or 2nd Rotation, I do free weight builds which gives me a very sore day after but also gives me a 3 day turn around to rest.

Still being impatient with the result process, I began the supplement stacking. I never just do anything to do it. I do things to get what I want out of it, this was no different.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Nine Years To Live - First Sixty Day Video Diary

2011-01-05T16:41:00.001-08:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Chapter Four - The Diet Plan - Nine Years To Live(Commentary)

2011-01-05T14:13:00.001-08:00

I have my mother’s metabolism. She’s as skinny as a rail and could eat three double cheeseburgers without so much as a fart... But even with her heredity I manage to push the limits of fatness. I took my “luck” for granted for many years even in conversation sometimes bragging that I couldn’t gain a pound. And yes, I should be 60 pounds over weight or more with what I did to my body from 1992 - 2010 but somehow am only about 27 pounds over instead. If I wouldn’t have done anything it would have only been a matter of time.

The way I managed it... Simple.... I did nothing and ate and drank everything.

There were “glutten pockets” everywhere. The Movies, fuhgeddaboutit- Large Coke, Large Popcorn. Guys night out- Beer, Hotwings, Artichoke Dip. Dinner Out - Biggest Steak on the menu, fries, Blue Cheese dressing on the salad.

It never failed. If I was hungry on the go, Frito Lay chips and coke. When the kids wanted McDonalds I almost got excited that I’d get to smash an extra value meal super sized.

When I was on the road, it was the biggest meal possible when I could eat to tide me over through the 16 hour day shoots and sometimes more. I ate and it always the biggest portion the establishment could give me.

I hated pills. You would be hard pressed to get me to take an aspirin unless it was in powder form. There was a reason I hated them which i will not share in this memoir but let’s just say, I detested them like a sickness. I would with ease be able to get Adderalls through my doctor. I hated them too, but found when I took them, I would transform into a one track beast if I was in front of an editing bay, so when big edit jobs came along a trip to the doctor and a 120 count of Amphetamine Salts was nabbed to “get me through.” When I was on these monsters, I wouldn’t eat at all.... Literally. In fact, I would wait and eat one big meal usually thirty minutes before I went to sleep.

(The digestion would dull the Adderall edge enough for me to fall asleep.) It was horrible. I lived atrociously and my diet was a disgrace. Days and Nights I would sit in front of that edit bay for 14 hours sometimes more and drink a two liter of Coke, chew on sunflower seeds and stuff tobacco in my mouth. And smash a Whopper Value Meal at 12:30am at night. That was my diet.

When the job was done, I’d flush the Adderalls that were left over. There would be a two day hangover that rendered me dead for 48 hours. The worse feeling in the world and I would normally time the “wean off,” for days when the kids would be with their Mom because I was almost worthless literally during the “detox.” That third day, I would feel like a million dollars but would binge on food, sweets, and soda to make up for the 8 day famine I had done to my body just days before.

All the while the kids ate what was easy for me. Chicken Nuggets, Burgers, Pasta, and Pizza. Everything was cooked, (some of it from scratch,) some of it “quick dinners.”

I hated myself as I got bigger and bigger over time. I stayed in denial as I got bigger. I swore I still “looked good” despite being very self conscious about the sags and “bitch tits,” that were forming. Yet with all that, my health was the least of my concern.

Upon the beginning of Project Nine Years To Live, I knew I would not only have to change my ways, but worse, somehow retrain the kids to eat better. That was to be the challenge. There was no question that talking to a professional Health Consultant would be my first step.

Lisa Kemerait was my only choice. She had been a vegetarian since she was thirteen and had saved her own life by becoming very aware of “good health.” She was brilliant and better than that, a friend of mine.

Here is ten minutes of our meeting. It is very minimally cut but the information she gives about Diets and Diets for Children is very insightful.

I left there overwhelmed. I didn’t feel my kids would go for any of the changes.

And I was right. Three nights in a row, they turned their nose up to a healthier dinner. I tried everything. (They did enjoy the honey Cheerios approach.) See below.

I thought maybe I would wean the new diet on little by little. Maybe try one night a week for a bit and slowly add days.

I ditched a day at work to spend all day at the grocery store. I looked at everything and bought the healthiest “kid friendly food” I could find, exchanging bi-product hot dogs for the Kosher ones, Tyson’s Kid Nuggets for frozen, (but raw,) Chicken Strips with breading separate-- Just to state a couple.

I felt proud of myself until I got the bill and my grocery budget had soared an extra $70 dollars with the change.

My first thought: No wonder America is overweight. They can’t afford to be healthy or at least eat it. Nonetheless, the trick worked. The kids and I were eating a meat, vegetable, fruit every night.

That was enough for me to figure out that re budgeting for a healthier lifestyle would have to be a must at this point.

With all the elements in place, it was time to get this fat ass in shape....

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Chapter Three - The Tao of Time Management

2010-12-30T19:02:00.001-08:00

My time management was impeccable until I had children. Of course when I first had children I was working for “the man.” I had big dreams, but was small time. My life was as simple as it could be. I would wake up at 6:00am, walk my dog, get Payton out of the crib, feed her, wake my wife up, hand Payton to her and I would go to work. At lunch I would come home, walk my dog, cram a sandwich and go back to wok. At five I would rush home to get Payton so that my wife could go to work. Then I walked the Dog, carried her around in my arm and almost every night, it was my daughter and I and when she would use her rocker, I could hone my craft. When she didn’t there was nothing getting done. I remember getting so frustrated some weekends because Payton was not a big sleeper and had to be rocked, (which I said I wouldn’t do.) I could have her asleep and the minute I placed her in the crib, she would pop back up again. She didn’t leave Daddy’s arms very much which I believe is where our strong bond comes from.

There were many nights spent staring at the computer screen, holding a pen in my hand looking at a blank piece of paper, while I threw a ball to Vinny and rocked Payton.

It was real rough on the schedule when I would occasionally get a “side job.” It was normally a wedding or an occasional small corporate job but still nevertheless would take all the time alloted to get done because there was never any time to begin with.

I suffer from O.C.D. I’m not just self diagnosing this to be funny. I am full fledged diagnosed and all. It cripples me every day and I refuse to be medicated for it. I choose to fight it with my mind. Some days I win. Some days I do not. In some of my idiosyncrasies it helps..... Others it kills.

Time management/Planning was one of the good traits of my illness. My schedule whether busy or slow was always planned down to the minute. If I kept the schedule I would be fine. If I couldn’t then my O.C.D would send me into panics and confusion. Just as I began to get busier, “bumps” in the road or “distractions” in the schedule, made things very tough on me.

My wife was a conductor of that distraction and dysfunction. She never cared what or where I needed to be so communication on times and places was never utilized. As far as she was concerned, I would have to drop what I was doing no matter where I was just so long as it didn’t interrupt her schedule. By the time we had River, and I had decided to make this business work full time I was already turning down work , (not out of being busy,) and canceling them because I couldn’t get her on board and could not utilize enough time to put my name and ass on the line for a job.

After the split, my “Tao of Time Management,” went back into effect and it changed my life and my career forever and as business began to boom there became only so many minutes in the day even planned.

I had always complained to everybody that it wasn’t that I was too busy, but it was the fact that I never was granted a full day of work. Where I worked “for the man,” at an office, I was allowed from 8am to 5:45 every day and somebody always helped if there was an issue and there was never a question of me being anywhere but work, because I “worked.”

Being that I worked from home, most people assumed that I was not doing anything therefore getting assistance was murder. So I was on my own and had accepted it over time.

More work came in and I began expanding hours after the kids went to bed which would keep me up and sleep deprived. I skipped meals, outings with friends, dates, just about anything that would allow me more time. Then I began outsourcing some of the work which posed another problem because nobody was doing the caliber of work I was accustomed to so I would find myself having to do it all or worse than that, do it over.

Month after month, my work day would be stretched out a little more until I was averaging 3 hours a night which in turn would lead to more stimulants to keep me going.

My normal day schedule played out like this:

This schedule has not let up as far as workload even in the change of life. This was where a new plan would have to be made in order to utilize all of me and my responsibilities.

The new plan would have to allow more time for work AND to complicate things I would have to find 2 extra hours for the gym throughout the week. I would have to utilize day care a little more and subsidize my planning.

The new schedule would be as follows:

This schedule would not allow for much “me time,” but it would be sufficient to start and would keep me fresh with rest and exercise.

Taking a pay cut to hire out extra help when the times were tough would be a must with the new program and training people to do what I do would have to be done.

My workflow would have to be prioritized down to the second now.

My former way of living would be doing the Mr. Mom thing as I went while the kids were there which took a lot away from them and out of me.

A good work out energizes you. You may leave the gym feeling wrecked but thirty minutes following the gym, you just get this burst of energy, (or at least I do.) That would be the time to be productive if I moved around so that was clean, laundry and yard time. One hour a day devoted to this I found a little more time for what was more important: The kids.

The schedule may not work for everybody. You may have to adjust and work out a plan that best suits you.

A time journal was utilized to keep me on track and keep all the little things in order such as school plays, doctors’ appointments, and other parenthood elements that can not be avoided and often just come out of thin air.

If I didn’t make it to the gym, the 9:30 - 11:30pm slot was devoted to it, The Nine Year Gym, (the garage for anybody that hasn’t been keeping up.)

With a schedule in place, it was time for the hardest transition of them all, The Diet.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Chapter Two - Finding and Building Facilities For Growth - Nine Years To Live(Commentary)

2010-12-19T20:06:00.001-08:00

I knew the home gym would never be a replacement for the real thing. The key was to put enough weights and resources in it to make it a close second to an actual facility because it was to only supplement days I would never make it to the gym due to parenthood or deadlines beyond my control.

I would sink a little bit of each paycheck into what I called, “The Nine Year Gym.” I was bad on spoiling the kids. In fact, horrible.... Movies, clothes, furniture-- what ever the kids wanted they got if there was money left after loans, bills and other expenses. This would have to stop for a little bit which would put them out, but hopefully, make them more grateful for what they have and if Daddy lived longer.... Well, then that would be great because there would be more years of me spoiling them than all at once like I was doing at that moment.

I wanted to build a little on a very worn body before touring back to a gym so the home gym was my first plan of action.

I would rely strictly on running the neighborhood for my cardio session, so the first things to be installed would be some overall strength enhancers. I found a used heavy bag, speed bag and reflex bag and immediately purchased it with some of my profits from the football season. Then with some of my Nike perks and “fundages” would get some work out clothes and a couple additional free weights. My arms needed extra stimulation to grow so a curl bar and forty five pounds of free weights were purchased to start the process. From there, benches, barbells, mirrors, and medicine balls but that would have to come after the holiday season and my father and my “private investor” were paid in full for the loans given to me throughout the year.

Here is a blueprint of what I planned with the garage:

The re-attending a real gym was going to be work in a sense too when dealing with my pysche. I needed a gym that mimicked the gym I worked out in when I lived in Los Angeles. It was the perfect gym. My OCD did not allow chaos and disorganization. My poor kids have seen many days of me having to walk out of a room during an attack so they would not have to see it, only to have to compose myself long enough to go back into the room and clean the disaster they made. If a place was disorganized or “cluttered,” it became very constrictive and overwhelming to me. It’s a neuro handicap that I have dealt with for about four years and seems to be getting worse which scares me.

Gyms like the YMCA were that kind of gym to me and were no good. This place was enormous, but the actual weight room was a closet packed in with old rusty cluttered machines and free weights with handles loose. On top of that, if I was working out after work hours, I couldn’t so much as bend over without taking a twenty pound weight between the knees.

I chose a membership there because of the kids and the indoor pool and also because of the distance to the house, (under five minutes.) Then I realized after working out a week there and not being happy, that I had again broken my rule. I realized that I had compromised a decision based on convenience and my children. Sure most of the the time, that should be considered but this part was for me and me only to an extent. This part of my life was mine and I should do what I feel makes me happy.

Let’s be honest, it would be another year before I would take these kids to the indoor pool. My son was not at a reasoning point quite yet which made even small trips to the grocery store a workout in itself. I immediately pulled my membership at the YMCA and would be “gymless” again at the end of November.

I began touring other gyms looking for a home, working out my final month at YMCA and supplementing at the ever growing Nine Year Gym in my garage. All my cardio was running the neighborhood or thirty minute blitzes on the heavy bag.

Then one night, (right before realizing I would have to make a decision on a gym,) I went to eat with my mother at Panera Bread. Upon getting in my car a neon light behind me caught my attention. It was a new gym. I had not seen it before. Of course, I didn’t make it to Hickory all that much lately due to work and distance either.

I got back out of the car and walked into the gym. It was the four month old, Snap Fitness 24/7. I was in there for five minutes and knew this was it. It was a new, sleek, gym that was small but roomy. It was stocked with Cybex machines, medicine balls, and free weights. I had access to it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and it was not jumbled with meatheads and fat people who screamed too loudly or spent twenty minutes holding up a station out of exhaustion in between reps. It was my place and my new home.

The only negative was that I would have to adjust the schedule being that I would have a forty minute round trip on top of the two hour regimen to squeeze into my busy day which would really make my work schedule tight during tough work weeks.

I took a chance and signed up. I would figure out a way to make it work, somehow..... Because that’s what I did best.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Chapter One - Build From The Past -Nine Years To Live(Commentary)

2010-12-15T20:04:00.001-08:00

Chapter One - Build from the Past

The plan was quite simple. Cut all the the crap that makes me feel bad. At this point, that was just about everything.

I had to figure out a way to utilize my busy schedule yet not kill myself trying to do everything in an efficient way. The first plan was to assure I got seven to eight hours of rest a day. My father who always had trouble sleeping was ironically the biggest advocate of “rest” being the most important part of a healthy body next to water. I was well aware that my life always ran better when I had slept at least seven hours on a regular basis. In order to rest, I would have to remove caffeine and “fake energy,” out of my diet. I have always been a Coca Cola junkie. The amount of money I had invested in the “brown bubbly,” could probably feed a large village.

Have you ever really looked at what they put into a Coca Cola? I hadn’t either ‘til I decided to kick it.

Nutrition Facts

1 Can

Calories 140

Sodium 50mg 2% of daily value

Carbs 39g - 13% of daily value

Sugars 39g -

Ingredients- Carbonated Water, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, “Natural Flavors” Caffeine 34mg/12 fl. oz.

Kicking caffeine was easy. I had one bad day where I felt lethargic and crappy and I was home free. My life with Caffeine and other stimulants was ridiculous.

For the past 2 years, I started the morning with a 20oz Coke and a little yellow over-the-counter pill called an 8 Hour Energy. This was daily. Another 8 hour pill would be consumed around 2pm.

I can only thank the government for outlawing Ephedrine because before they did, it was Mini Thins and Ripped Fuels that were a daily routine for me. (Both high in Ephedrine’s, ancient chinese stimulant, Ma Huang herb.) And this habit was an everyday thing from 1998 - 2007, How I’m not dead yet, I have no idea. I took them like a diabetic would do insulin.

Once they outlawed these “Heart Killers,” I went back to occasional prescription Ritalin, Stackers and other “Fat Burners” to give me that kick, my mind felt I needed to keep my edge. I was a speed junkie. There were times in my life where I was full of energy and most of my days were spent working on a goal. My life was full of productivity. I rarely watched television, never napped, and felt if I was, “hanging with my friends,” I better be doing something while I did it. There were many moons growing up where I would hang out at some friend’s house, drink a couple of beers but would work on a script, drawing, shoot video or something while I did it. I don’t waste time. Life is short and I’m the poster boy for making sure every minute is utilized to doing something. Somewhere a long the way the non-chemically induced creative juices were substituted for the opposite. I cannot pinpoint the exact day but if I had to give it a time stamp, I would say it began when I decided to get “buff,” because I was tired of being a little scrawny, film nerd. I had been in Los Angeles for 4 years and was sick of being a little pencil necked geek.

I didn’t change any of my habits when I began working out. I just strictly wanted to get big. There was no diet with the exception of massive amounts of weight gainer, creatine, and protein shakes. I didn’t sleep much, partied in college and ate and drank whatever I wanted, writing it off as a theory that: “If I was working out, I could get away with doing anything.”

Anybody that knows me, knows I don’t do anything half ass. If I say I’m going to do it, I do it and my will to achieve becomes almost an obsession even if unhealthy.

My workouts were no different. They were 3 hour blitzes of my body. Heavy weights and thrashing the muscle fibers and joints of my body were the only way I knew how. What I didn’t realize was there was much more to body building than just “lifting weights.” Rest, good diet, cardio training and healthy practices went hand and hand. I blew up overnight it seems and went from a soft 160 pounds to 210 pounds of brick shit house. My arms looked like Popeye, but I was always exhausted and had hit a plateau in my training. A guy at the gym introduced me to the Ephedrine based pill, “Ripped Fuel,” and that was the beginning of the end. My workouts improved. My stamina on the weights expanded into another thirty minutes of vicious pounding and also curbed my huge appetite for eating. Those pills began to find their uses even outside of the gym. If I had to stay up all night for a test, I popped a couple of them. If I was tired from a shoot and the boys were going out, I took them to pep me up so I can withstand the late night of bar hopping on the Sunset Strip.

Those pills had become a “take with me everywhere,” kind of thing.

When I returned from Los Angeles to North Carolina, the pills came with me..... The working out.... Did not. And until a month ago, in some form or another the chemically induced pep whether it be prescription stimulants, Taurine, Ma Huang, Guana or whatever, my body got its fix every day of my life. AND I MEAN, EVERYDAY. If I didn’t take them by two in the afternoon, I didn’t function.

My heart only knows the amount of damage I have done to it through those pills..... I only hope I’m not too late to right the wrongs and put some life back into it.

Upon kicking the pills and caffeine it was on to Step Two. My plan had four steps in it.

1)Kick “Fake Energy”---- Check.

Begin Cardio Filled Workouts with emphasis on running and tone and core muscle workouts.

Adjusted Healthy Diet that would transform and develop over the first 60 days

Be gone with vices, (Occasion cigarettes, drinking beer, fast food, high sugar drinks and food, tobacco use.)

When these steps were made then adjust if needed to Get Well. Be Fit. Live Life.

My will never let me just “ween” myself off slowly on anything. Everything had to be done then and now so those steps were fulfilled within the second week of the plan.

The next step was Gym and Weight Utilization.

There was a problem..... Being a single father and with the business blowing up bigger by the week, the 3 hour break each day to tour down to the gym may not be an allowance I could pay myself everyday especially during the “Red Zone Deadline,” times. I would have to invest in a gym, but I also felt I would have to invest some money and bring a gym to me.... About the time, the pre-planning for ‘The Nine Year Gym’ began, I signed a big contract with a small company called, Nike.... You heard of them?

It must have been fate.....

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Preface - Nine Years To Live (Commentary)

2010-12-13T08:37:00.001-08:00

I woke up one day and realized I was never going to continue to live if I kept up what I was doing. My grandfather died of a heart attack when he was 45. That was nine years away for me and I was choosing that fate and welcoming it. I had out slept my kids for the first time since they entered the world and felt terrible about it. I had been pulling 20 hour work days and sometimes longer to keep my business momentum booming. I was counting solely on Carrie, my daycare/”nanny” to do the parenting of my children and was now relying on my prescription of Amphetamine Salts and massive amounts of “fake energy,” to push me through the grind of my responsibilities. On top of all that, it was much, much worse. I was overweight from years of consuming too much high sugar soft drinks, energy drinks and eating massive amounts of processed foods along with my children. If they were eating chicken nuggets, so was I. If they wanted McDonalds, that’s what I was eating.

The day before the “crash,” my son had begged me to hold him. And I couldn’t find the energy to do it. From five thirty to nine thirty I laid on a couch nearly unable to move. My life was over and my kids’ life was being compromised for my bad choices and all I could do was lay there letting the television babysit them for the first time in 4 years.

Sure, I was doing what not many fathers in the world are able to do and that is juggle being a single father and a business owner. In between jobs, edits, I was remembering to to buy gifts for birthday parties, go to the grocery store, clean their clothes, get them haircuts, coach their ball teams and do all the other little things that sometimes are missed when life is so chaotic. I was making enough money to pay the bills and give the kids whatever they needed without batting an eye, (even sometimes pay the ex-wife’s bills.) I was somehow managing it all which made me proud, but I had forgotten the big picture. The big picture of actually “being there,” mentally.

When my wife and I split, I broke the chains of negativity, constrain and a compromised life and my business blew up in front of my face and it never slowed down even as I did trying to keep up. My health was bad before success. My wife smoked. In fact, smoked through both pregnancies. I was a closet smoker. I hated it. Always did even before I realized how hard it was to kick. A heroin addict once said, “it was easier to kick heroin than it is to kick nicotine.” I have never done heroin but coming from a guy who has said, “addiction is not a sickness. It is mind game,” or a guy who practices, “there are no excuses only laziness,” I had become a hippocrite and had lost my battle with my fight on kicking cigarettes. I would lie to everybody. “No, I’m not smoking,” but I did. There were days I would buy a pack and smoke them all. There were days where I would just bum one on set here and there. My vice wasn’t consistent. It would just happen and if I didn’t smoke when my mind said smoke, I would sweat, crave and obsess about having one. The only times I never thought about it was when the kids were around. I would never, ever, smoke in front of my father or my kids. It was just something I didn’t do. Why? Because I was so ashamed that it was the only thing I couldn’t control or be strong enough to fix in my life. With every time, I vowed to quit would come another prescription to Adderall for a big edit, or a Red Bull buzz that would allow me to “postpone” quitting. I was a mess and as work got busier and busier, my habits worsened, and I was so wrapped up in the action and “awe” of what I had built, I never saw nor felt it until I decided to complicate my life even further.....

Life took a turn for the worse upon returning from New York from a 10 day stint. I had spent all 10 days sleep deprived but managed to stay away from fatty foods and energy drinks. I purposely left my prescription at home to keep me from relying on it and somehow managed to feel great the whole time. Maybe the aura of being in NYC was enough to make it work, I don’t know.

Upon returning, the hustle began. I got blitzed with work. Small jobs, but quanity over quality had suddenly entered my train of thought. Through all these, I decided to not only take on two big jobs, but become a boyfriend to a girl. The plan was to have all the jobs done by Football season and kick back. Well, that was hard to do when I continued to pick up every job that was put in front of my face. There were points where I didn’t eat because “I felt I didn’t have time.” When the kids weren’t there, I would eat one meal a day and it was Burger King, occasionally treating myself to my favorite Thai restaurant. In between it was 2 liters of Coca Cola, Adderall, Red Bulls, 8 Hour Energy pills, 5 hour Energy shooters, sunflower seeds, chewing tobacco and cigarettes. Some days when the kids weren’t there, I would down two 24 oz Bud Lights just to be able to sleep from all the stimulation I had served myself through out the day in order to sit in front of the computer and edit.

My work was complicated. I acquired half of the cost upfront which normally would go to pay my people, buy the equipment we needed and then the other half would be paid to me upon completion. I paid myself out of the completion money. If I didn’t get the job done in a timely manner, I would go broke. And about a week before the football season started, I realized just how bad a hole I had dug myself in. I had seven open jobs that were not complete. I was out of money due to paying out my debts, extra child care, and honestly blown money from eating out, buying smokes, four dollar red bulls etc..... I was so tired that I just threw money at every problem I had. There was no way to stop it. When the kids were with their mother, I would work all day. Then take the work to the girlfriend’s and would just keep going. Then I would come home and do it some more and never realized that it was taking me twice as long to do everything because I was so mentally and physically exhausted. When the kids were there, it was “try to be Dad,” but there were days where I literally found myself, “just trying to get through the day.” As soon as I put them to bed, I was back at it until 2am and repeat the process. This would go on for weeks at a time and with every passing day, there would be more ingesting of stimulants, caffeine, crappy food. My body was shutting down. My muscles were quitting and the worst part of it, my brain had stopped working. I stopped answering the phone, stopped showering when the kids weren’t there. I would sleep in my edit chair some nights. Kids would come back a couple days later and I would try and go right back into Dad mode but it didn’t work. It would take me at least three days to recover from the work binge. I would have to do laundry and wear the “Dad Pants” and play catch up while the kids just wanted to play and hang out with their Dad. I remember one night being so tired, I put the kids in the car after dinner to go to the store for “ice cream,” but it was really so I could get a Red Bull and a pack of Goody powders. I didn’t have a headache, I just wanted the quick release of caffeine Goody’s gives you when you stick it on your tongue. I was up til 4am because of the stunt but to me, it got me through the night with the kids. There were nights I would hang with the girlfriend and it would be exhausting to crack a smile. A couple months earlier, our faces and stomachs would hurt from lauging and having a good time. Now, it was hard to strike up a conversation for me.

My wife had moved in with her sister and her two kids, which really “disrupted,” the routines and stability of the kids when they were not home with me and their behavior took a nose dive. My son had always been a problem. He was a boy. He wasn’t speaking like he should have been and we had some serious issues with communication. This move had made it worse on him and even worse than that, my perfect daughter had also acquired some bad habits, but I was too exhausted to even deal with it. I found myself the push over Dad who just tried to keep them happy to avoid having to be consistent because I just couldn’t find energy to deal with anything.

Anger set in and I found myself pissed at the world. Pissed I was broke. Pissed I couldn’t get any help. Pissed at my wife. Pissed at my girlfriend. Pissed at the kids. I was done. My gut overlapped my pants because I was on my way to upgrading yet another waist size for the second time in 3 years. I looked and felt terrible. I wanted to quit it all.

The crash came fast. About two days before the girlfriend decided to get rid of me because well by this time I was a total wreck. I was home with the kids and we had the worst day we had ever had. It was a day that made me feel like I wanted to, drop them off at their mothers and be done with it. We were stuck at the house all day because I just couldn’t find the mental or physical fortitude to get these kids dressed and manage both of them outside of the house. They were awful to their Dad all day. So bad to the point that I put them both to bed without a story, and worse, without a kiss for the first time I could remember. I was furious. I retreated to my hole and turned the edit bay on and sat there for an hour just staring at the job in front of me. Couldn’t keep one thought in my head. My eyes burned. I opted to look at the other 3 jobs I had actually completed for the first time to run quality control and what I saw was sickening. The cuts were lazy. The effects were stock. The audio was not mastered. I had compromised it, just like I had compromised my kids the past 3 months. I had compromised it like I had my health for the past 10 years. I had officially become the guy I said I would never be.

I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself. I had fallen apart. The circles under my eyes were horrible. The arms plump. The belly fat. I walked into the bedrooms of the kids and watched them sleep, remembering, how much they counted on me. I remembered how much of their life in their current parental ordeal was in my hands. Remembering, how much I wanted the life I made for myself. Remembering that I had fulfilled a promise to do exactly what I was doing with my career. I also remembered how my Grandfathers had had heart attacks young. One of them didn’t live through it. What would these kids do if I died? What would I do if I woke up in ten more years and their life was screwed because I had been too busy chugging Red Bulls and working to do my real job?

I stayed up all night. The kids got up the next morning smiling. I gave them both a real big hug and cooked them a big breakfast. I sighed in relief, I had not ruined their life in the past three months. I was still exhausted but knew what I had to do so my direction was back and when I have direction there has never been any limitations. The only thing left was to catch up on my rest and then conduct a plan. Payton saw I was tired and sad. I sat her down and gave her an abbrieviated version of my story. I told her that she would never have to worry about her Dad not being able to be who she wanted him to be again.

“So what’s wrong with your heart, Daddy?” She asked. I kinda’ laughed that the “heart attack” part of the story is all she got out of it.

So I said, “well I don’t know but I want to keep it nice and healthy from now on for you guys.”

She walked out of the room and returned with a necklace I had given her. It was a hand woven necklace a friend in NY had made me to give to her. It had a beautiful pillow like heart on it that was woven into the string.

“Then you wear this. It will keep your heart safe,” she said smiling. I laughed until I cried. I took it from her.

“OK.”

She ran into the the play room to hang with her brother. I looked at the necklace. Stared, at the heart and just like that, the plan came to me. I put the necklace in my pocket and beelined to the cabinet, grabbed the Adderall prescription- flushed it. Took the family sized box of Goody powders- tossed it in the trash. Emptied the Coca Colas into the sink.

Project ‘Nine Years to Live’ was on. From here on out Life wouldn’t run me, I would run my life......

To be continued.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Saying Goodbye - The High School Football Story

2010-12-12T15:43:00.001-08:00

In July 2009, I received a call from a woman who wanted me to film her son’s football season. Business was starting to pick up and I was concerned about taking a job so involved and relentless on schedules. We were talking every Friday from 6:00pm to 12 midnight, I would have to be at a football field somewhere in and around Lincoln County. Mandi, my wife, pushed me into the job and I agreed to take it on after days of deliberation. I am a huge football fan and loved being at high school football games even though it had been years since I attended one.

The first night came and as I set up the camera a top of the North Lincoln High School Football Field’s press box. I checked my time, and still had about twenty minutes before the game started. It may had been the first 20 minutes I had, had to myself in sometime. It may had been the first time, I had slowed down in two years. And for one short moment, the world stopped. The sunset was beautiful. You could smell the hamburgers and popcorn cooking at the concession stand. The “Fat Boy Club,” or the announcers for the game were delivering their sponsor list. The breeze was relaxing and I realized, I had, (or Mandi had,) made the right choice. This was where I suppose to be....

And for two seasons that’s exactly where I was-- Shooting an Offensive/Defensive Lineman for his parents who had helmed his future in football and were not pulling any punches on getting him to college to play ball. I, along with his personal trainer and several other people, were their investment. What they didn’t realize at the time, was they were my investment. The job they hired me to do, I had fallen in love with and during the off season I literally counted the days until the next season to be able and get that weekly escape to the press box to film the game.

I also complicated the process by taking on not only him but two more of the standout players on the team. The pressure of keeping three camera men and their footage in order would suck the fun out of the process occasionally through out the week, but come Friday night I was always as giddy as a kid on Christmas Eve.

About midway through this past season, I realized that if I didn’t start advertising or finding a replacement player to shoot next year, this little addiction of getting out of the editing bay, or house, and escaping on Friday nights would end.

Upon completion of the season, I was completely bummed but hopeful a family would find me and use my services next year. Clearly, the completed highlight reel speaks for itself and honestly, it will only be a matter of time before somebody finds me and uses me again. A friend at Fox Sports South said and I quote, “Those Highlight reels will change the way, recruiters look at players and that kind of coverage will allow the outstanding players on the smaller less competitive teams to be seen as well. It is a remarkable piece of marketing.” This quote and my theory didn’t settle things for me. My days, (for now,) at North Lincoln High School were over and over those two years, I had really grown attached the whole team. I had seen so many guys grow into better football players over those two years; Built relationships and friendships with coaches and parents and of course have grown accustomed to sporting my North Lincoln Gear around town with pride. Five days after the final game, I realized the only way I was going to be able to part with this school is make a “video piece,” chronicling the years I was there. A sort of Tribute piece that the players could take with them and I could too. Something I could look at down the road to remind me of my extraordinary, (and almost wasn’t,) time in Lincoln County.

I will always remember the boys and their parents: Dillon and The Tuckers, Mitchell and The Gates and Mason and The Pirtles who trusted in me to get their boys to college and who I trusted in to keep me employed to come to the games Friday night. I will always remember putting on my NL hat and football shirt Friday Morning. Charging the batteries on Thursday night, looking over the great plays on Monday, the phone calls on Tuesday trying to acquire the game tapes and always, always remember the rattling of the blue cowbells and spirit that school had for the team even in the worst of situations. If it were up to me, I would and will always rest easy to know my spot on that press box was reserved for years to come but I’m not counting on it. Will the next team capture the same excitement and peace I felt at North Lincoln? Who knows. For now, though I leave my post at North Lincoln with three kids going to college and a fifteen minute tribute film that I will always be proud of.

Thank you to all who helped me along the way and allowed me to grow with the boys. I will always be in debt to Mandi, Renada, Kenneth, and Dillon who pushed me to pull the normal rates of my services and take a chance on something that seemed so trivial. My life because of it, will never be the same and with that, it’s back to business as usual until the next phone call in August, if one finds my ear.

North Lincoln High Football - A Tribute Film from ROADHOUSE PICTURES on Vimeo.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Our Evening Listening - Black Keys "Keep Me" from the album, Rubber Factory

2010-12-07T14:43:00.001-08:00

If it isn't in you iPod, then you are way behind. BUY IT IMMEDIATELY.

(4099 KB)
Listen on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Back to the Fun of Filmmaking

2010-12-03T11:23:00.001-08:00

With the grind of the corporate and television work coming to an end for the year, it gives us time to finish our "Labors of Love." Next week, will begin the Picture and Audio Mastering of our campy film, Bad A$$ Killers. With the end of the creative process near, the beginning of the marketing and packaging stage begins. We plan on doing a "graphic novel style," approach to the poster and DVD covers so the first thing is to beginning messing with layout. I photocopied all the promotional pictures from the film to give me angles to do a rough layout using all the characters.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Old Road Traveled. The New Ahead.

2010-11-16T20:42:00.001-08:00

Two shots taken on the way home from Raleigh. I was in a sentimental mood. A picture of an old blurry life passing behind me and new clearer one ahead.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Project 9 years to live

2010-11-09T12:24:00.001-08:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Ugh

2010-11-09T10:02:00.001-08:00

Sent from my iPad

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Dungeon - My Swan Song

2010-11-05T20:34:00.001-07:00

After 2 years of North Lincoln Football Film, I step down my post as "highlight" guy. It's been a journey and I'm greatly saddened, but I'll have 2 years of memories, still pictures, and some of the greatest football highlight footage ever seen to take with me. Cheers to the 2010-2011 North Lincoln Knight Football Team. It's been a hell of a ride!!!!

This shot, is the last minute before cameras starting rolling tonight for the final game.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Hive - Bessermer City

2010-10-24T19:07:00.001-07:00

ISO 320 8mm f3.4 1/60

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Day Turns to Night

2010-10-24T07:55:00.001-07:00

Cherryville Stadium

8mm f5.6 s1/80

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Dungeon - North Lincoln High School, Denver, NC (October 8th, 2010)

2010-10-09T19:57:00.001-07:00

ISO 800 8mm 1/60 f5.6 7:35pm

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

A Mid Season Highlight Reel Example

2010-10-04T20:41:00.001-07:00

The finished version to colleges will not have the music nor the credit to the music, but for pacing and entertainment purposes, I have included it on this video.

This is what are the hoopla is about. You will notice that some of the footage looks a little "stepped on." That is purposedly done to give the film texture, an amateur feel and also lets the eye differentiate from clip to clip so it does not all look like the same game.

Special Thanks to Band of Horses and Explosions In The Sky. Buy their music on iTunes or Amazon! It is amazing stuff and just goes so well with this sort of thing.

From here, 6 more games, replacing or adding key points to this already paced clip.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Football Prep Headquarters

2010-10-01T09:12:00.001-07:00

Somebody told me, "that must be an easy job," referring to Football Highlight Department I've built over the past couple of years. I nearly took his head off. On top of making myself free every Friday night and Saturday night for Capture and Review of the games, the daunting task of adding and removing highlights from game to game becomes a spreadsheet, lots of notes, lots of angles to recap and can be an absolute headache if the team plays good. (I know that sounds terrible.) It's a full time job on top of my full time job.I have to pay my guys, pay for equipment, get everybody to the games, depend on them to get the plays and do it with the cameras white balanced through out the game where the sun sets slowly and the buggered fluorescents begin to burn brighter as the game goes along. I have to capture the footage, sort, and review and we're talking about 5 hours of review for each game from 5 different camera angles.

Here is the blueprint that was carefully constructed on my approach to filming my "innovative way of doing high school football."

Then as soon as the capture and review is performed. The clips are separated into the different players folders depending on their particular highlights. The editing begins. With 4 different camera ops with four different cameras, the colors and contrast have to be adjusted and due to the real time scenario some camera men may not get the play at the best angle so the other cameras have to be referenced for the best angle. Then a bloated highlight reel goes out to the parents. The parents and coaches decide on the clips to keep and this process usually goes through 5 sets of eyes which makes everything just a tad time consuming before a decision is made.

The final cuts are recorded on a spreadsheet. Then the clips are joined together to make "game tapes" the following Friday for the players to look at and cataloged in case colleges want "full games." The highlight reels then are shaved down and then Friday comes again and it's time to do it all over again.

So to answer your question, no it's a terribly hard job as a matter of fact. If I didn't love football so much there is no way I would do it.

The Game Tape Reels to go out to parents, players, coaches.

The Camera Call Diagram, matched with spreadsheet of plays from camera angles, to list of "keepers" from outside sources, to the DVD Label for finished reels.

The DVD Label Before the Cut Out

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

My Morning Listening - Peter Gabriel Kinda' Morning

2010-09-30T06:23:00.001-07:00

(5149 KB)
Listen on posterous

(4069 KB)
Listen on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Frank Barger Stadium - Hickory, NC

2010-09-18T12:13:00.001-07:00

ISO 160 , 8mm, f5.6, 1/160

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Raider Ravine - Olin, NC

2010-09-11T19:35:00.001-07:00

North Lincoln vs. North Iredell on Friday Night. The rain layer sets in as the game starts.

8mm - ISO 320 f5.6 s1/160

Garrick Lane
glane@roadhousepictures.com

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Raider Ravine - Olin, NC

2010-09-11T19:30:00.001-07:00

North Lincoln vs. North Iredell on Friday Night. The rain layer sets in as the game starts.

8mm - ISO 320 f5.6 s1/160

Garrick Lane
glane@roadhousepictures.com

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Dungeon - North Lincoln High School, Denver, NC

2010-09-05T15:31:00.001-07:00

7:42pm 8mm 3.5f 60shutter 800ISO

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Friday Nights

2010-09-03T13:43:00.001-07:00

Shooting a sunset on Beale Street, watching the sun rise in Times Square, or any job in between I've been privileged to be a part of takes a back seat to September. Last year I was hired to shoot North Lincoln Knights players for their football season and lucky for me, it carried over to this year. There's nothing like going out on a late summer breeze, with my camera, getting paid to do what I do and watch some high school football and more importantly, be a part of these boys' HS football progress. I fear this will be my last year as the boys I shoot are graduating and I may not be needed next year. Who knows, as things are going, I probably won't have time to do the suttle things like this that make me happy. With that said, I will cherish every moment I have left in the next 9 games. It's funny because like the players who wake up Friday morning super stoked about the game later in the night, thinking nothing but about that game, I've adopted the same pattern, sporting my North Lincoln shirt from the moment I wake up til the moment I lay my head down. Thinking of the different angles and tricks I can use to make the footage look great while covering what I'm there to cover. It's Friday.

I grab my gear and put it in the car. There's a game at 7. Let's go Knights!

(3853 KB)
Listen on posterous

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Mattes without Photoshop Trickery

2010-09-02T17:54:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure to shoot the great NY hip hop artist, Pesu for a clothing company. The pay was good and to be able to spend two days next to this genius of an artist was honestly pay enough.

For two days, 16 hours a day in an undisclosed warehouse with no air in the middle of August we documented a white wall transform into a beautiful canvas of Pesu's signature art. I broke out my whole arsenal for the event from a camera jib to my skateboard, to scaffolding, but after 20 hours, I was running out of angles and ideas.

I was changing lenses for the umpteenth time when I found an old UV Filter in the bottom of my bag. It was little scratched but seemed like the glass where the focal plane was was unscaved so I screwed it on. From there, I went to Pesu's array of paints and begin painting around the filter, creating a kind of raw, grunge looking matte.

It worked rather nicely depending on where I set my zoom lens. I would shoot a little with red, then clean it off and shoot a little with green and yellow and so on and so forth.

This is another example of matting or vignetting without having to use Photoshop.

*Add the paint very slowly so that you can judge where the matte will go on your frame. You don't want to do too much because you almost have to start over if it is too much.

Here are some examples of the different looks I got. I unfortunately don't have what the filter looked like because I realized after the fact that I had shot the various filters with a camera that wasn't mine.

My Red Matte. Notice how close I had to get to get a wide lens to read the red corners.

Some actual stills from what I shot.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

My Afternoon Listening

2010-07-27T09:23:00.001-07:00

Daniel Lanois' Sonho Dourado

Just a fantastic tune.

Off to build a set. Later.

(8086 KB)
Listen on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

My Morning Listen

2010-07-27T06:35:00.001-07:00

Michael Nyman Orchestra

Diary of Hate and Love Doesn't End from the film, The End of the Affair.

One of the most powerful and influential scores I carried outta' my film school days. Nearly breathtaking if you listen to it loud. Tears everytime. It is simply amazing.

(8183 KB)
Listen on posterous

(4786 KB)
Listen on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Love & Desperation

2010-06-18T07:13:00.001-07:00

We’re down to our last meal... Chicken and Mac N Cheese. I would have to rely on Carrie to provide breakfast and lunch for the kids and a small family dinner at Mimi and Papaw’s would fulfill the days nutrition for the kids. I felt ashamed as ate.

May had been a bad month-- Two business loans and three cancelled jobs due to a schedule that doesn’t work had put me in a spot I hadn’t been in since November of last year. I hadn’t worked since May 3rd and dished out more than 75% of my income on keeping the business afloat. This is my fault. My line of work would be best utilized if I lived somewhere “big,” but would live in a box before I left my kids and my responsibility to them. Sure the business is picking up but the location mixed with the economy makes consistency as unsure as the Mac N Cheese I just made. When a good paying job that would give me an excuse to travel to The Big Apple for a couple days came up, I thought it fitting to pick up as many jobs as I could while I was there so I took on three others. There was only one problem. The original job was the only one that covered my food and lodging meaning the other 5 days, I would be on my own. I knew the risks. The pay was minimal so for me not to spend my entire day’s paycheck on expenses I would have to test my skills of survival.

This had burdened me for a few days now. I was good at this sort of thing. I had never needed much and was always up for a challenge, but had really wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew on this one. If the plan works, I will return with minimal money, but will be out of debt and have enough left over to buy groceries and pay the bills. If it doesn’t work, the job becomes an exercise and I return with little to nothing as I wait for the steady work that begins in August. It was my last option and for it to work, I would have to cut meals, lodging, and my normal “per diem,” from my budget. Worse, there was a chance as dramatic as it sounds that something could happen to me when cutting the little things like shelter and food out of the normality of my day. Furthermore, locking $10,000 worth of gear in the trunk of a car and sleeping in a subway wasn’t the smartest thing to do for a guy with two kids and a lot of responsibility.

I looked up from my Mickey Mouse plate to see my son smiling at me and remembered that the outcome didn’t matter, as long as I came home. They had not caught on to my mood the past couple of days. I had done a good job of hiding it. They still didn’t know their father was planning to drive to one of the biggest cities in the world, put $10,000 worth of camera equipment on his back, eat out of trash cans and sleep in subways for five of the next ten days to make sure their livelihood would not change and thank goodness, had not figured out that he had also sacrificed their annual beach trip to do so.

Dinner was quiet. I just watched them. Being a parent there are only two emotions that are utilized daily: Love and Desperation. Love is the obvious, but it’s not the love you show your wife or husband. It’s the burning unconditional, relentless love that rushes over you every minute they touch your hand, smile at you or cry for you. It’s the love that not even Satan himself could falter. The Desperation is the constant thought process of what to do next, how to do it and the underlying worry that something could happen to them at any minute if you as a flawed human relent at your job. I struggle severely from OCD so I am in constant fear of their life. I worry about things that keep me up at night. This world is cruel and SOME of the people in it make matters worse. I trust little when it comes to the care of my children. Every time they leave my sight, I worry I’ll never see them again. It’s a terrible way to live but it’s my job to make sure they live a long and happy life and I fear my mental capacity for forgiveness or restrain if somebody were to take that job away from me.

Dinner’s half way done and I fight with myself because for the first time, I’m making a selfish choice to inadvertently put myself in harm’s way to see that they have a roof over their head. My selfishness of my career and quest for gold leaves me abandoning my post for longer than I ever have before. I’m only alive because I was given the miracle of them and now I will tempt fate again trying to protect them. This trip could be an epic failure. The room for error is insurmountable and yet, I greet it despite it’s heavy uncertainty.

I snap out of my mindless ramble as Payton looks at me and smiles, “Whatcha’ thinking about Dad?”

I break a tear. My mind unforgiving of the fear I have for this excursion. I look at them for a moment. River has cheese from his forehead to his chin. I can’t help but laugh remembering my promise to them that everything will be alright no matter what. I cherish every moment with my children. Even the bad ones. The worried ones. The Desperation of Parenting I invite in like a family member.

“Ol just stuff,” I reply. I eat another bite. It’s now cold and soggy, maybe a prequel to many dinners ahead of me on this trip. I relieve myself by remembering that this is what I chose. This was my desperation at the time I decided to take these jobs on. I knew what I was getting into. I knew it had to be done. I’ll put it all in God’s Hands and hopefully fulfill my commitment and come back with the income I said I had to. I was always good at that. I am not always smart about how I do it, but I always find a way and this trip was no different. Two weeks from today, I’ll be back at this table with these same two people with my vagabond style NYC trip and my debt behind me. If not, I will have to trust in others involved to protect my children. It may be my worst fear but it was my split second desperation filled decision that will lead me to the outcome that I will have to be OK with. For now, I’ll exodus the stress and enjoy the next 24 hours with them as if it were my last as I do everyday I’m with them.

I flick a shell onto River’s face as a quiet dinner becomes a romper room. I nearly forget my worries, my desperation, letting love take over the moment as so many moments before.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Untitled

2010-06-17T19:17:00.001-07:00

f 4.5 Shutter 60 ISO 200 (Custom Magenta Settings/ Slight Color Tone Adjust in camera) No Editing

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Cover Up Miss

2010-06-17T18:48:00.001-07:00

f5.6 shutter 60 ISO 200 - (Custom Saturation Settings) No Editing

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Crest of Night

2010-06-17T18:27:00.001-07:00

f 5.6 Shutter 60 ISO 1600

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Building Characters For a New Film

2010-06-14T21:14:00.001-07:00

There are only THREE important aspects to writing a Good Film.

1- A Beginning
2- An Ending
3- And Most Importantly, GOOD CHARACTERS.

If one studies their characters and literally builds and molds them, the “in betweens” of the beginning and ending will come. I come from the Syd Field School of Scriptwriting. Even after taking his class years ago, I still didn’t believe in some of his methods. He taught you to literally write hours and hours of backstory for all of your characters even if one of them only showed up for one scene. When I say backstory, he would have us write if they were born from Natural Childbirth or not to what their favorite food was even if they never ate in the story. I had thought it to be very extraneous UNTIL I decided to practice the full discipline to write Meter. And just like he promised, the practice added so many more dimensions to my characters. I decided after Meter to take the time to do this practice even if I had a character who was deceased but talked about. I’ve only written two scripts since surrendering to Mr. Field’s disciplines and both scripts ended up basically writing themselves because of the heavy character development. In fact, the Plot Points kind of just fell into place without even having to think about them because, I knew the characters so much.

When I was approached about writing a “faith based film,” I thought, “well all those films are so one dimensional.” I being new to faith again, thought that this job would be an undertaking. BUT it would help me grow in my faith and help me really stretch my writing wings because if you have seen my films, then you know what kind of style I have. Of course the practice, will be tough because I will have to find a way to avoid “beating the film goers’ over the head with the theme” and writing characters that are so “thick” even the worst of actors could really make them believable. I also have to do this without a hint of grit, darkness, or vulnerability my main characters normally have. I have spent a month working on characters already and I can’t help but delve too deep. This is going to be a lot tougher than I think.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Work Ritual

2010-06-08T22:45:00.001-07:00

As I follow my OCD deterioration, I found a perfect example to share. In between renders for some heavy special efx, I began cleaning my house, setting up a work space in my dining room for a couple of days to work on a script and write checks and whatever. I did not notice as I was setting up as I do this all the time... But every now and again, I notice. Tonight being one of those times-- as I began to walk to my room for a good night's rest, it struck me how I had set placed everything. This was a ritual. This is how it has to be done and it's quite exhausting.

The blue pencils are all I'll write rough drafts with. The black pens are for sketching/coloring. The Cross Pens are for writing everything else with, (roller and ballpoint, each having their own purposes.) The Moleskins have to be black covered and different sizes for different things. The grey pencil with the dots is the one I chew one because I wouldn't dream of touching the blue ones with my mouth. That pencil too has to be new every time I sit down.

It's a wonder I get a single paragraph, check, invoice written with that kind of routine.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

My Son's Trip Down Memory Lane

2010-06-01T06:41:00.001-07:00

On Mother's Day, we went to my Grandparent's and Aunt's house in Valdese. Sadly, a couple years ago, my Grandparent's put their house on the market. My Grandparents moved into my Aunt's house right next door. I love that house. Not only was it a great looking house but I spent many days of my childhood there. They lived back in the woods and so when I was there I was surrounded by the thing I loved the most as a kid, "Indiana Jones Terrain." I fought off armies, monsters, and hid from Belloq all in and around that house. River has always been good at running off and doing his own thing. so when River began towards the house to "explore" I grabbed my camera and shot pictures of all the places that were significant for me as a kid.

I will truly miss that house. I wish I was in a situation to buy it myself. It is unlike any other house and stores so many memories that just being able to keep it to continue reliving those memories would be worth the price tag.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Automated Dialogue Replacement - Week 1

2010-05-29T18:34:00.001-07:00

Being that we've decided to go the extra mile to see that our year long labor of love Cult Film, BAD A$$ KILLERS, we began the grueling process of Overdubbing the entire hour and twenty five minute film. Long days in a dark studio are not how I planned to spend my off time between my DP jobs but I don't quit on anything so I'll kick myself later if the film doesn't for sell... But for now we continue with the long Post Production schedule and process to try and make a finished film by August.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

REVISED ADR SCHEDULE - TWO WEEKS

2010-05-19T07:58:00.001-07:00

Sorry Guys. There was some miscommunication and our Audio Engineer wants to do the ADR over two weeks so we don't have to rush everything. It's cool with me. I hope it is for you.

Just let me know if this is OK. We'll adjust to keep everybody happy. I'm sorry for the confusion.

Garrick

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Revised ADR Schedule

2010-05-12T21:05:00.001-07:00

Some of you haven't gotten back to me. You know who you are. Please Let me know if this suits you OR I WILL REPLACE YOU, It's as simple as that. You think you guys have put in your time on this film? You don't know a third of it. I need an answer by Saturday OR I WILL REPLACE YOU and not think twice about it. Sorry. It's simple communication.

Thank you to all who did reply. Check the schedule as I had to for the best of the production change a couple of you guys' slots.

Thanks again for going the last mile.

******There is a Red Note at top if Schedule for Day has changed. If Red Note is not there. The schedule has remained the same.

See the full gallery on posterous

Garrick Lane
glane@roadhousepictures.com

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Tentative ADR schedule for BAK

2010-05-09T19:48:00.001-07:00

Here is the tentative ADR schedule. Everybody look over it and let me know if it suits as soon as you can so I can make the changes. I chose this way to keep from sending multiple PDF revisions and have somebody get mixed up.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

My First Correspondence to the President over at the FFA

2010-05-07T12:26:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The Drive Playlist

2010-05-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

The grueling 2 month grind of Post Production is done for my ESPN pilot, The Drive. Here is the final list of music we used in the show. Any artists that didn't make it, no worries. Two more shows to follow, or you didn't get back to me when I said I couldn't download the music from your myspace page.

The agreements I should get to tonight if it does not take me all day to cut the jungle that has grown outside of my house while I've been trying to make the deadline.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

CRAIGSLIST AD - WELL... MAYBE NOT SO FAILURE... WE'LL SEE

2010-04-21T21:28:00.001-07:00

Hello Garrick,

Of the hundred or so replies I have so far sifted through, yours showed the most professionalism and, if I may say, character.

You understand our situation well, and you most likely know we're winging it -- although that's solely with respect to the shoot itself. We have done our homework re: making accounts receivable deals. I'll get into them soon enough.

Because your e-mail was strong, I decided to go into more detail.

First things first -- the core group.

Me, Daniel Christoff aka D. Victor Christoff: Writer/Producer .I've sold seven theatrical release screenplays to producers like Ilya Salkind (Superman: The Movie, The four Musketeers, et.al.) and the Lupo brothers. Currently teaching screenwriting, fiction and poetry at TCL, I have written a nat'l radio show and served as editor-in-chief for a nat'l newspaper and nat'l magazine. I have fiction and poetry published and have won some awards here and there.

Steven (last name omiited for now): Producer. Has made dozens of films and HBO half hours. Wrote a best seller. Ran the HH Repetory Company. At least half a dozen awards.

Packager: Tom (last name omitted for now). Former president of the MPPA. Produced a short- lived TV series. Ran NBC's music devleopment for 25 years. Connected to the top.

We are currently going over the last three selections for director, so I can't fill you in there.

I could say more here, but that's our center.

After reading your e-mail, I forwarded it to Steven, who is an exceptionally sharp and exacting producer. He even went so far as to run an IMDB on you. I hope you're not offended. You shouldn't be. Steven put you on the list of eight artists under consideration, and agreed to my stipulation that we talk to you first.

Your b.g. was key. See, we're doubling and trippling up on roles, and you would fit in a lot of ways.

The business end? I've made a deal with distributors, and we're looking at anywhere from 300 to 500 screens per state.

Yeah. You can see where the money's coming from and estimate how much.

As well, just the other day, I put together a tentative foreign distribution deal that will enable our film to show in Germany, Italy, France and Belgium.

Our packager comes from the school that says: "You can shoot a blank screen, but if you know what you're doing, it's going gold."

He's right. You probably know it. Connections are the milk and honey of this industry.

Tomorrow, Steven and I will meet with some friends. This mostly has to do with the SC Film Board, with which we have an in, finalizing locations and occupying our newly acquired warehouse. We're also going to track the shooting script and call in some favors.

But we'll be discussing you, too.

At this point, be confident is all I can say. You're up against some pros, but I intuit you're hungrier and, generally, more solid. That you know theory, for example, goes a long way with me, and I hope to go over some when we talk.

You scored more points since you've done LA and UCLA -- by the by, did you get a chance to meet my old friend, Lew Hunter? He asked me to teach screenwriting there and I almost did. In fact, I've been asked to teach at the Sorbonne, too and...

Enough of my ego.

Here's how it will work. After narrowing the list further, I'll give you a call (say, Monday @ about 8PM? Let me know.). Please note: Gotta be simpatico. You'll be working with veterans, while still dusting the ears of recent film school grads. Sure, we appreciate suggestions and points of view, but at the same time, we need a man who, like me, can just zip it at times.

After we talk, you talk to Steven.

We make the final choices and I both meet and give you the treatment. You'll have to sign a non-disclosure and non-compete.

Then you decide if the project's right for you. Now, I fully realize artists will always say the project's right for them. But the artist who can articulate why is the one I look at long and hard.

After all, we're risking our reps and we need a real and up front.

If you're selected, the script and meetings with the DP, Steven, myself and others follow. This means we discuss your contract, as per your involvement. You could get more than Guild, depending. This also means you will come here -- to Beaufort. We put you up and feed you.

Then we go shoot.

No one sees the shine off a dime until we screen.

How's this all sound to you?

Send me an e-mail and we'll see where we are.

Until then...

Best,

Daniel

MY RESPONSE TO HIM

Thanks Daniel for the in depth email. I see you are very passionate about what "people like us do." Before we start trading our family trees, I have a couple of questions myself. Only because I have found myself in a business "boom" of my own and have to make sure this project is worth taking some time off.

First off:

1) If you have DP and Producer and all the Above The Line, What would you need me for?

2)Would I be using my own gear or would you guys be "borrowing" it for the shoot?

3)What is the shooting schedule, (day wise,)?

4)And when would the shoot start?

You talk a good game. I know this business and know I want receive a penny of compensation if it's not upfront WHICH IS FINE in some cases but if I'm considered would like to sign the agreement and read the script as soon as possible. The writing will obviously let me decide if it's justifiable for me to go M.I.A to Beaufort, SC for the set amount of time of shoot on my own buck.

Points mean nothing.

Deferred Payment is as likely as Master card relieving me of my debt because of my good looks.

If it's great cinema and something I'd be proud to be a part of,then it means cutting my testacles off to be there, pay or not, even if it means fetching the seventh pizza pie of the seventh day of shooting. I'm in if you can inspire me. If you cannot, let's just say, I will never EVER forget this email. May be the best response I have ever received from a Craigslist Employer. Call me on Monday night at 8pm. I'd love to talk to you.

Sincerely,

Garrick Lane

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

This Film Will Be Seen in its Entirety.

2010-04-20T09:00:00.001-07:00

WE WILL NOT RECUT. WE WILL NOT CHANGE THE NAME. WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE. WE WILL ADD MORE OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE, SEX, BLOOD AND ROCK AND ROLL!!!! WE WILL NOT BEND OVER FOR "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS."

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." - First Amendment

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Letter to a Client

2010-04-11T09:50:00.001-07:00

Dear XXXX,

Ok so some of the Professionals I work with have seen the trailer and we’ve analyzed every angle of it. I’m going to give you my absolute honest and professional opinion and then I’m going to offer a solution and you may or may not like the solution. It depends on how badly you want to get your films “out” or “to Hollywood.”

This trailer is truly unfixable. There is nothing my expertise or creativity can do with it. Nobody is going to give this a second look and that is just being honest. I know its hard to hear that but it’s the truth. It was poorly lit, shot and planned out.

If you ask Mark, Ennix or any other filmmaker on the East Coast, I keep my word and I always do what I say I’m going to do. In this case it is no different, but there are usually stipulations to those loyalties.

I rate my time on different scales. I may do something for free depending on different things. My latest, “passion project” was Ennix Xiong’s Bad Ass Killers. It was a feature. We shot it for $12,000.00 I was paid $2500.00 for the job. I Produced, Shot, Rewrote, and ultimately Edited and Sound Designed it. If you break that down to the amount of pay I made by hour it equals 4 cents a hour. The reason I have stuck in on it, is I get 25% of profits and being that the film will level out at $20,000.00 on cost. We WILL because of the fruits of my labor and the amount of care I have put into it will sell it for at least $50,000.00. Do the math on that. Sure it’s not much but once you sell a feature to anybody, you will get a chance to make another film with somebody else’s money. Every job I do for little to no money has to have some sort of value to me. Your trailer does not and as is will not. Now if you paid me, sure I’d do whatever I could to see this trailer through knowing the outcome would be one big goose egg which is why I won’t allow you to pay me to fix this. But with that said will not fix it for free either. On Union jobs, I’m paid $450.00 to $850.00 a day, depending on how much of my equipment is used. It’s not because I’m expensive. It’s because I’m that good at what I do and that’s what people pay me because they know the result is well worth more than that.

I can throw this together and with fancy text and smoke and mirrors but in this business we have a saying, “you can’t polish a turd.” Unfortunately, that’s where we are on this trailer.

I’m going to keep my word to you that I’ll help but I want it to be worth all our while and the only way it will be worth my while or yours is if it either is good enough to raise funds to make the feature or it’s good enough to get passed around small production companies that could afford to pay a million to produce it. That means reshooting this thing using production value. So here’s the pitch and it’s as cheap as I can do it for because your basically not paying for my equipment, or experience. You’ll be paying my bills for the month it will take to plan, shoot and edit it. I will reshoot this trailer using my crew, my gear, for $1000.00. If you want Mark as well, add $200.00 to that. Mark will not only help direct the actors, but he’ll add voice over and if we can’t get John Rutland back will play his part. The $1000.00 also includes two more crew men that are paid and I’ll get two PAs that will do it for experience. We’ll shoot it all over two days with lights, sound, DONE RIGHT. I won’t be free of my commitments til June or July so it’s no rush. I will assure you if you speak to Ed and the rest of the cast that you are reshooting and have hired Roadhouse Pictures and Garrick Lane to shoot it, you will have no problems getting them back. I can assure you that. We will do it right and you will have a piece of your art that will really show your talent as a writer. It will get you noticed.

Don’t make a decision today. Think about it. This is not a scam. This is the real deal. How much is your script worth to you? How much do you REALLY want to do this for a living? Is it worth $1200.00. If it makes you feel better, I spent $1200.00 on 3 hours of stock footage and used 25 seconds of it and it increased the value of this Documentary by 200%. Let me know what you think. Ask around. My word is 100% and my work ethic is the best in the Southeast. Call Mark if you have any questions. Let us know.

We will make a trailer that has contention for a future. What you have now.... Well, without sounding like an asshole, is just a lesson learned.

Sincerely,

Garrick W. Lane
Creative Director

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

A Moment of Reflection

2010-04-10T06:23:00.001-07:00

The house is quiet. It’s been another good day with my children. This week I incorporated some tougher rules and they welcomed them with small open arms. In return I gave them their birthday presents early. Don’t let me fool you. It was me that could not wait to give the presents to them.

We’re resting now before leaving. My car keys in my hand. We’re watching a scene from “Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs.” It’s the forty fifth time I’ve seen it and somehow am not tired of it. Maybe my subconscious tolerates it because the kids love it so much. They pay no attention to me who can’t stop looking at them.

I reflect on a life that has not been wasted even during the years of waste. I reflect on a life of disappointment and fulfillment. The two probably fairly equal if I closed my eyes today. Many of my disappointments vindicated some how by the chain of life, karma, fate, growth, whatever. Maybe it is my refusal to ever settle or my obsessive quest of redemption for all the wrongs I caused many people during my adolescents that keep me working so hard to do all the right things. Something keeps me driven and it’s a drive so powerful it overwhelms me into reclusiveness and obsessive compulsive behavior at some points. I snap out of that reflection as my daughter turns to me and says, “Dad but when you go, I will miss you.” I reply with the obvious, “I’ll always be there right next to you even when I’m not.” She smiles, not fully understanding, turning back to the TV.

I clutch my car keys and stop myself from standing. I realize my statement was wrong. It is them that will always be next to ME. They are the ones that drive my force, correct my wrongs, inspire me to achieve greatness. It is them I find a way to redeem everything I’ve done wrong. It is them that is my universe.

They turn and smile at me as Steve, the monkey, puts his hands up and yells, “yellow” with mustard on his palms. They love that part. River turns back quicker to the television than Payton. Payton knows these are our final moments together before Dad has to go do his thing. She gives me a wink of approval, she’s not worried. She’s a happy kid. Maybe she knows already that she has one of the few parents in the world that is actually living the dream. She has one of the few parents that gets up every morning excited about going to work. Maybe she knows how lucky I am and is happy for me somehow. I wipe a single tear from my eye and grab their bags. I’m leaving for my next job in Florida for National Geographic and will not see them again until their birthday party the following week. It is OK. They know where Dad’s going and they know why he has to go. Or maybe they don’t bat an eye because unlike him, they are certain they will be right next to him the whole week as he trudges around with the horses, wipes hand size mosquitos off his camera lens and while they sleep, dreaming of another fun filled day, their father will be in a dark room full of LCD monitors, Waveforms, RGB levels, on his sixth Red Bull editing and will love every moment of it because it is them that drives him to live this life. He won’t miss them because like them, he knows he had not up until that moment wasted one minute with them when they were all together and had plenty of credit left.

I snap out of it, “Let’s go Ding Dongs.” Meatballs has ended. They are excited about going to their mother’s and their father is excited that he gets these moments everyday they are in his life to reflect just how well he’s doing because of them. We exit the house. In seven hours I’ll be a 1000 miles away from them and I’m OK with it because they are the reason I’ll be there.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Eric Gales - Prelude to Delta Blues Story

2010-04-06T12:18:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest guitar players ever born walked out of prison and into BB Kings in Memphis, TN the night I just so happen to be running the cameras. I clocked out and took my handheld to the stage and started shooting. In the 12 minutes there are only two incidents of shakiness. By 2 minutes in, it was as if my camera and his guitar were working together. This performance is mesmerizing. (Sorry for the audio. had to take the stereo out of it to keep it from being stolen so you get the mono version. It's still just as good.)

Posted via web from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

CRAIGSLIST AD FAILURE #2

2010-03-10T19:48:00.001-08:00

LOOKING FOR CAMERA/PRODUCER

I own a small production company currently involved in a number of projects, both paid and unpaid. Our primary focus is cinematic work and I am looking for an individual who is interested in developing in the industry.

Primary attributes required:
Some flexibility with schedule and intention of staying in the Charlotte area for the foreseeable future
Interest in both developing as a Producer and skills in the area of camera. We are currently working with a Canon DSLR and will be moving to RED, but maintaining DSLR's as B-Cameras. Some experience and knowledge of RED is strongly preferred.
Some experience in the industry: on set and/or film school experience
Good attitude and humble spirit to work on all projects with excellence

This is not a full-time paid position. There will be opportunities to be paid on commercial shoots and for-profit projects. Much of what I am looking for is intern-type work that will offer the opportunity to develop with our company and be available as larger projects come up.

Please do not simply send a resume with daily rates. I am looking to develop a positive culture and only interested in indviduals willing to put insignificant pro-bono work in additiion to paid projects.

MY EMAIL RESPONSE TO THIS GUY-----

SO YOU WANT SOMEBODY WHO CAN RUN THE RED AND WORK FOR FREE? WOW, I LOVE HOW EVERY "PRODUCER" IN CHARLOTTE IS A CROOK WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE IS DOING.

MY RATE IS $150.00 A DAY WITHOUT MY CAMERA RENTAL, BUT I'M ABSOLUTELY SURE YOU CAN'T AFFORD THAT SO I'LL SPARE YOU BULLSHITTING ME THROUGH VARIOUS EMAILS.

Stop posting bullshit ads on craigslist please. It takes up real Professionals' time. Thanks.

-The Management

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Storyboards - Brothers Bullet Complete Part 2

2010-02-09T11:32:00.001-08:00

Second Part to finish the scene out....

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Storyboards - Brother's Bullet Complete

2010-02-09T11:08:00.001-08:00

Here are the finished versions of my storyboards from my last entry. They turned out alright to be such a thrown together kind of thing.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Brothers Bullet - Rough Storyboards

2010-02-03T08:54:00.001-08:00

Alright man, so this is where I am. I have all the boards inked, but I think I'm going to have to add some color or grey tones to them to get them to pop out. I'll also add camera moves/shots and frames when it's done with. I'm sending you the first three just to give you an idea. No they are not graphic novel caliber but given the time frame we don't have much time to do things anymore detailed. I will add some color to these guys and finish them up today or tomorrow.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Embassy Suites

2010-01-18T19:31:00.001-08:00

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Ratings????

2010-01-14T17:40:00.001-08:00

We're having to shoot additional scenes to BAK because the Ratings Board refuses to give us a rating due to the content of our film. Isn't this ridiculous. Of all the things I thought I'd have to deal with.... This is not one of them.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

BAK Poster Art - Concept 1

2010-01-13T07:31:00.001-08:00

These are rough renders I threw together to get them out there and get some opinions. Thanks Chris for the transparencies. Saved me a ton of work!

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

BAK Rough Cut Complete

2010-01-11T12:27:00.001-08:00

As of January, 11 2010. The rough cut of BAD A$$ KILLERS is in the history books. Now we just have a fine tune cut, ADR, color keying and correcting, sound, design, marketing, effects.... Ah shoot you get the point.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

old time feel

2010-01-03T16:44:00.001-08:00

Scratch the four day production of Jeopardy with absolutely no sleep and me being so hoarse the last two days, I had to use sign language to communicate. Scratch the first Meter shoot where it was so cold, my hands would stick to the camera.

BAD A$$ Killers was a sunuvabitch of a shoot. With $14,000 and only two weeks to make it, a group of unknowns including myself cooked in 105 degree basement, fought wild audio, highways and everything else small production brings for 17 days in August to make a feature length picture. As with small productions, the editing process takes forever because of the lack of resources, help etc and can get very redundant.

With Jeopardy, I cut the trailers for the picture in November before I knew I would spend two more months in post production recutting, so by the time the picture was ready for a premiere the trailers were old and the buzz they stirred up was gone and who really cared.

With BAK, it was different, because it was a feature and I knew we would be cutting for months and months on our off time and it would take forever, I chose not to cut any trailers until we were nearly done with the rough cut.

Knowing there is still tons of work to do, I was burnt out and uninspired. I felt I had to cut some kind of something together to get myself back in the game.

This film is CULT material all around. It's vulgar, classless, and full of all those things we love about John Waters, Kevin Smith, and John Hughes' pictures. The acting in parts is cheesy. The story is ridiculous and the plot holes are bigger than some of the crevasses in the Grand Canyon, but with that said, that's the reason why I think it will be a classic in its own right. For this trailer, I called Mark and begged him to tear his vocal chords to shreds to give me an ole' time B-Movie feel voice over so I could cut the trailer in an old school kind of way as if you were at the Drive In movie seeing a trailer that prefaced a Midnight Screening of CHUD. I'm happy with it. There are more little vignettes to come, but for now, this cut pushed me over the hump and I'm ready for completion of the film. Enjoy.

Posted via web from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

old time feel

2010-01-03T16:37:00.001-08:00

Knowing there is still tons of work to do, I was burnt out and uninspired. I felt I had to cut some kind of something together to get myself back in the game.

Posted via web from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

My BAK Journal. Tattered and Torn

2009-12-30T19:25:00.001-08:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Untitled

2009-12-25T19:01:00.001-08:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Short Mailing List

2009-12-14T19:21:00.001-08:00

Anybody on First Draft Read of "The Drive In" SHORT mailing list, today's your lucky day. To better sell, my idea on this film I have also included with your script a 19 track Soundtrack Companion for you to listen to as you read the script. Yes, the script needs some work. I think mainly at the beginning and some of the characters are a little scarce but that's where all you people come in. Enjoy the script, let me know WHAT YOU REALLY THINK and be constructive. If you have ideas, I'd love to hear them. I want to make this film so it has to be better than anything else, I've done.

Enjoy.

Here is the liner note art and CD Label so you can see the truly great music from the 80's I've put on it.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

A Missed Phone Call and A Promise

2009-12-12T06:13:00.001-08:00

PROLOUGE POST FOR THIS ONE

http://shootstuffguy.posterous.com/a-memory-and-an-idea-of-1987

Having read the above post from October, the story following makes sense. It’s Thursday night and I’m trying to dump footage, cook dinner and keep the kids from physically mauling each other and the phone rang.

It was my good friend from childhood Russ. We were as thick as thieves as “little shits.” We lost contact when we were fourteen, mainly because I began my tour in and out of boarding schools for behavior and mental stability. I always thought about him a lot. He was truly a remarkable friend that I never had to be “cool” with. It was just friendship at the highest most comfortable level. He was there for many of my first life changing events.

Years later, I was asked to write a column for my film department’s college newsletter about my first experiences with horror films. SEE THAT POST HERE.

http://shootstuffguy.blogspot.com/2006/05/slashers-dancers-and-couple-of-goons.html

http://shootstuffguy.blogspot.com/2006/06/slashers-dancers-and-couple-of-goons.html

Russ came up in this article I wrote which in turn made me remember what a good friend he was and made me finally take initiative in finding him and reconnecting. My wild years were past me. Russ, never strayed like everybody around him, so I knew now that fatherhood and a rebuilt sense of my life’s worth had steered my new direction, he would be an additional influence on me not to screw up.

I found him rather easily, by contacting his father who still lived in our home town. Kind of disgusted me that I had fallen out of touch with him and he had been so close to me for the two years I had been back from Los Angeles. We reconnected and it was if we had not missed a day. My Busy schedule and fatherhood had been the catalyst of missed opportunities to hang out but then recently, the film idea, “The Drive In,” came to mind. On top of thinking it would be a great small film to make, I thought it would be a good opportunity for Russ and I to really catch up. We discussed ideas about the film over the phone and I had said to him, “I’ll write the first draft, then we’ll get together and tweak it and finalize it together.” He thought to be a fine idea considering I knew the format and how to write a script.

Anyway, that Thursday night, I let the phone call go to voicemail planning on calling him back as soon as it quieted down at the house. I began work on Russ and I’s script immediately after my kids’ closed their eyes forgetting to call Russ back. Sunday morning came and I got the phone call. I didn’t believe the first correspondent who called my parent’s house. I did however believe the second call which was Russ’ sister, Keira. Russ had passed away over the weekend. At a ripe 36, my friend Russ Russell was gone. My first TRUE friend to lose.

I’ll never forgive myself for not picking that phone up or at least calling him back. We never got to hang out again. Go to a movie like we grew fond of growing up. We never got to finish our film together. Since his passing, I put what was going to be a “do when I can project,” to the priority level, finishing the script in a record three months. Sure it needs work. It needs Russ’ genuine sense of humor. His perspective, that now only speaks to me while playing Bruce Springsteen or Run DMC, (our favorite music growing up,) and even then is not as and will never be as good as having him next to me in front of computer as I rewrite, talking like The Godfather, screwing off when we should be focusing. Now with the first revision for grammar and just small adjustments, I look to Ellie, Keira and Margaret, Russ’ mother to help me add Russ’ voice to a script that I refuse to change authorship on.

**Russ, I didn’t speak at your funeral. I was selfish. I kept my stories to myself. But if you were disappointed or maybe relieved for that matter, don’t worry. My feelings toward Russ Russell will be heard one way or the other in the future. If it takes me ten months or ten years, I will make this picture we started. It is a promise I make to you and when I do make “The Drive In,” I’ll make sure the stories I use are heard and the people that knew you feel you in the room when they are watching it. As this paper is my word, “I’ll find a way to finish what we started.”

The first step is polishing the script.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Cutting....

2009-12-04T15:55:00.001-08:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Saturday Night

2009-12-02T18:23:00.001-08:00

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Commercial - Budget $2.15 (Cup of Coffee)

2009-11-30T18:00:00.001-08:00

Posted via web from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

MEATS

2009-11-24T13:36:00.001-08:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Painstaking CGI

2009-11-23T11:23:00.001-08:00

I was dead set on this cup of coffee firing steam from it's contents through out the shooting for this commercial, but just like everything else i do, all is rushed and doing take after take while in between heating this cup of joe just didn't work in the time frame alloted to shoot this thirty second spot. SO... Me still insisting to have that cup of coffee steaming to show the chilly evening night of the scene, I decided to do the unthinkable AND actually use CGI. All the keyframing, photoshopping, and BS, and this is what I get. Fake smoke that looks fake. I love it.

Before The Steam of the Coffee - Actual Footage

After the Steam is Added - Rough Composite

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Auburn Theater

2009-11-18T18:37:00.001-08:00

I love this one. Thanks Keira. Great capture.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Commercial Vision

2009-11-15T18:20:00.001-08:00

Every now and again, (not much,) I get an opportunity to be real creative with Commercial Shoots. Dan and Chris' latest work order is one of those. One where I can shoot it in almost a story telling, filmic way that rivals some of the bigger business/bigger marketing spots you see while you are watching football or whatever. We're using actors, real lights and dollies unlike the normal "industrial" shoot where a fill light, wireless mic and tripod are the only accessories you need. These kind of shoots excite me because they push me to take risks and be aesthetically perfect. With these shoots also comes a vision. Here are my drawn storyboards of my idea or pitch on how to shoot the 2 minute spot.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Quiet Time

2009-11-15T18:06:00.001-08:00

With the Football Season now complete, I decided to complicate my life by adding another weekend job. This one there were many reasons why I took it. It is a position that never and I mean never becomes open. When they offered it to me, I decided even if it meant rescheduling my fun time with the kids it may be worth giving it a go. My shifts are Saturday night and Sunday morning. Saturday nights there is really no down time. Sunday's are a little different. I run the live shows and depending on the Sunday, it may be "slow." I have to show up at 10:30am to start a live feed and from 10:30 to 12 I just have to watch and make sure the live feed works. Then from 12-1 is usually minimal things like dubbing tapes until 1 or 2 before the live shows begin. To make a long story, I have a little time. Quiet time. My phone doesn't work in the studio. It's like once I close the door, I'm in this alternate world. And despite the fact that I'm missing precious time with my kids, I find myself forced to do one of the things that falls into the back of the bus during the regular work week which to me is priceless.... Writing "The Drive In." Since I began writing it a month ago, a lot of it was an hour with pencil and pad before bed which with my busy schedule and parenthood, usually was and is the least creative time for my brain. This job has forced me to focus in the best part of my day, 10 - 2 and the script is coming long fantastically. So much, I find myself not so much typing what I wrote into the script format but using my story written to make something much much more in depth and finding that humor, I feared I wasn't connecting with. This picture below says the mood best and I enjoy the opportunity the local TV station has given me and also the "do this and do that, then you just have to sit there," attitude because it allows me to be creative guilt free and on the clock too. * Besides, survelliance cameras watch my every move. If it wasn't OK, I would be fired by now.

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

The First Scene Jitters(Color Correction)

2009-11-11T20:10:00.001-08:00

I'm a purist and do not like to do much in the editing room. The first scene we shot of B.A.K will not be one of those "easy" scenes to cut. Here are some screen grabs of some of the uneven lighting that now will face countless hours in Correcting stage due to a screw up of calibration of camera, blocking and lighting. Thank goodness this is the only scene we shot like this and were able to fix. No thanks that this scene is one of the longest run time wise we have.

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Jeopardy + Big Studio Pitch Meeting = Back to Hollyweird.

2009-11-11T11:20:00.001-08:00

After fights with copyrights, time, and energy on the eve of its next Film Festival Premiere, the pitch for Jeopardy's story is prepped for a Studio Pitch opportunity.

Garrick Lane
glane@roadhousepictures.com

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Long Hand & Long Nights

2009-11-05T19:12:00.001-08:00

Haven't had anytime to post any thing cool up here. Have a whole journal full of short hand writings I've filled up but can't seem to find time to sit in front of the computer and actually type them up. For now, I'm finishing my commitments to North Lincoln HS Football Team, cutting BAD ASS KILLERS and writing THE DRIVE IN. You want proof? Here you go.

See the full gallery on posterous

BAD ASS KILLERS EDITING SCREEN GRABS

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Fall is Here

2009-10-27T15:43:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

Music Playlist for "The Drive In"

2009-10-17T12:17:00.001-07:00

So I'm writing a buddy/coming of age picture and it takes place in 1987 and to bring back memories, images, and situations from that time in my life, I've resulted in loading my iPod with music from around that time. It's crazy because with every one of these songs comes a memory of something- A dance, a girl, a location. Music is such a great way to relive your past. It has really helped me write this film.

The Drive In Playlist (Just for Starters)

1... WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN, The Bangles (Columbia) (#1, Dec 1986)
*2... ALONE, Heart (Capitol) (#1, July)
*3... SHAKE YOU DOWN, Gregory Abbott (Columbia) (#1, Jan)
*4... I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (Who Loves Me), Whitney Houston (Arista) (#1, June)
*5... NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US NOW, Starship (Grunt) (#1, April)
6... C'EST LA VIE, Robbie Nevil (EMI-Manhattan) (#2, Jan)
*7... HERE I GO AGAIN, Whitesnake (Geffen) (#1, Oct)
*8... THE WAY IT IS, Bruce Hornsby and the Range (RCA) (#1, Dec 1986)
*9... SHAKEDOWN, Bob Segar (MCA) (#1, Aug)
*10.. LIVIN' ON A PRAYER, .. Bon Jovi (Mercury) (#1, Feb)
*11.. LA BAMBA, Los Lobos (Slash) (#1, Aug)
12.. EVERYBODY HAVE FUN TONIGHT, Wang Chung (Geffen) (#2, Dec 1986)
13.. DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER, Crowded House (Capitol) (#2, April)
*14.. ALWAYS, Atlantic Starr (Warner Brothers) (#1, June)
*15.. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU, U2 (Island) (#1, May)
16.. LOOKING FOR A NEW LOVE, Jody Wately (MCA) (#2, May)
*17.. HEAD TO TOE, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (Columbia) (#1, June)
*18.. I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW, Tiffany (MCA) (#1, Nov)
*19.. MONY MONY "LIVE", Billy Idol (Chrysalis) (#1, Nov)
*20.. AT THIS MOMENT, Billy Vera and the Beatlers (Rhino) (#1, Jan)
21.. THE LADY IN RED, Chris DeBurgh (A&M) (#3, May)
*22.. DIDN'T WE ALMOST HAVE IT ALL, Whitney Houston (Arista) (#1, Sept)
*23.. I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, U2 (Island) (#1, Aug)
24.. I WANT YOUR SEX, George Michael (Columbia) (#2, Aug)
25.. NOTORIOUS, Duran Duran (Capitol) (#2, Jan)
26.. ONLY IN MY DREAMS, Debbie Gibson (Atlantic) (#4, Sept)
*27.. (I've Had) THE TIME OF MY LIFE, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (RCA) (#1, Nov)
*28.. THE NEXT TIME I FALL, Peter Cetera with Amy Grant (Warner Brothers) (#1, Dec 1986)
*29.. LEAN ON ME, Club Nouveau (Warner Brothers) (#1, March)
*30.. OPEN YOUR HEART, Madonna (Sire) (#1, Feb)
*31.. LOST IN EMOTION, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (Columbia) (#1, Oct)
*32.. (I Just) DIED IN YOUR ARMS, The Cutting Crew (Virgin) (#1, May)
33.. HEART AND SOUL, T'Pau (Virgin) (#4, Aug)
*34.. YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON, Kim Wilde (MCA) (#1, June)
35 ..KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF, The Georgia Satellites (Elektra) (#2, Feb)
*36.. I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (For Me), Aretha Franklin and George Michael (Arista) (#1, April)
37.. CONTROL, Janet Jackson (A&M) (#5, Jan)
38.. U GOT THE LOOK, Prince (Paisley Park) (#2, Oct)
39.. SOMEWHERE OUT THERE, Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram (MCA) (#2, March)
40.. LAND OF CONFUSION, Genesis (Altantic) (#4, Jan)
*41.. JACOB'S LADDER, Huey Lewis and the News (Chrysalis) (#1, March)
*42.. WHO'S THAT GIRL, Madonna (Sire) (#1, Aug)
43.. YOU GOT IT ALL, The Jets (MCA) (#3, March)
44.. TOUCH ME (I Want Your Body), Samantha Fox (Jive) (#4, Feb)
*45.. I JUST CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU, Michael Jackson (with Siedah Garrett) (#1, Sept)
46.. CAUSING A COMMOTION, Madonna (Sire) (#2, Oct)
47.. IN TOO DEEP, Genesis (Altantic) (#3, June)
48.. LET'S WAIT AWHILE, Janet Jackson (A&M) (#2, March)
49.. HIP TO BE SQUARE, Huey Lewis and the News (Chrysalis) (#3, Dec 1986)
50.. WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME, Chicago (Warner Brothers) (#3, Feb)
51.. LITTLE LIES, Fleetwood Mac (Warner Brothers) (#4, Nov)
52.. LUKA, Suzanne Vega (A&M) (#3, Aug)
53.. I HEARD A RUMOUR, Bananarama (London) (#4, Sept)
54.. DON'T MEAN NOTHING, Richard Marx (EMI-Manhattan) (#3, Aug)
55.. SONGBIRD, Kenny G (Arista) (#4, July)
56.. CARRIE, Europe (Epic) (#3, Oct)
57.. DON'T DISTURB THIS GROOVE, The System (Atlantic) (#4, July)
58.. LA ISLA BONITA, Madonna (Sire) (#4, May)
*59.. BAD, Michael Jackson (Epic) (#1, Oct)
60.. SIGN 'O' THE TIMES, Prince (Paisley Park) (#3, April)
61.. CHANGE OF HEART, Cyndi Lauper (Portrait) (#3, Feb)
62.. COME GO WITH ME, Expose (Arista) (#5, April)
63.. CAN'T WE TRY, Dan Hill with Vonda Shepard (Columbia) (#6, Sept)
64.. TO BE A LOVER, Billy Idol (Chrysalis) (#6, Dec 1986)
65.. MANDOLIN RAIN, Bruce Hornsby and the Range (RCA) (#4, March)
66.. BREAKOUT, Swing Out Sister (Mercury) (#6, Nov)
67.. STAND BY ME, Ben E. King (Atlantic) (#9, Dec 1986) (#4, June 1961)
68.. TONIGHT, TONIGHT, TONIGHT, Genesis (Altantic) (#3, April)
69.. SOMEDAY, Glass Tiger (EMI-Manhattan) (#7, Jan)
70.. WHEN SMOKEY SINGS, ABC (Mercury) (#5, Sept)
71.. CASANOVA, Levert (Atlantic) (#5, Oct)
72.. RHYTHM IS GONNA GET YOU, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine (Epic) (#5, Aug)
73.. ROCK STEADY, The Whispers (Solar) (#7, Aug)
74.. WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE, Bon Jovi (Mercury) (#7, June)
75.. BIG TIME, Peter Gabriel (Geffen) (#8, March)
76.. THE FINER THINGS, Steve Winwood (Island) (#8, April)
77.. LET ME BE THE ONE, Expose (Arista) (#7, Oct)
78.. IS THIS LOVE, Survivor (Scotti Brothers) (#9, Jan)
79.. DIAMONDS, Herb Alpert (with Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith) (A&M) (#5, June)
80.. POINT OF NO RETURN, Expose (Arista) (#5, July)
81.. BIG LOVE, Fleetwood Mac (Warner Brothers) (#5, May)
82.. MIDNIGHT BLUE, Lou Gramm (Atlantic) (#5, April)
83.. SOMETHING SO STRONG, Crowded House (Capitol) (#7, July)
84.. HEAT OF THE NIGHT, Bryan Adams (A&M) (#6, May)
85.. NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU, Glenn Mederios (Amherst) (#12, June)
86.. BRILLIANT DISGUISE, Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) (#5, Nov)
87.. JUST TO SEE HER, Smokey Robinson (Motown) (#8, July)
88.. WHO WILL YOU RUN TO, Heart (Capitol) (#7, Oct)
89.. RESPECT YOURSELF, Bruce Willis (Motown) (#5, March)
90.. CROSS MY BROKEN HEART, The Jets (MCA) (#7, Aug)
91.. VICTORY, Kool and the Gang (Mercury) (#10, Jan)
92.. DON'T GET ME WRONG, The Pretenders (Sire) (#10, Dec 1986)
93.. DOING IT ALL FOR MY BABY, Huey Lewis and the News (Chrysalis) (#6, Sept)
94.. RIGHT ON TRACK, The Breakfast Club (MCA) (#7, May)
95.. BALLERINA GIRL, Lionel Richie (Motown) (#7, Feb)
96.. MEET ME HALF WAY, Kenny Loggins (Columbia) (#11, June)
97.. I'VE BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE, The Cutting Crew (Virgin) (#9, Nov)
98.. (You Gotta) FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT (To Party), The Beastie Boys (Def Jam) (#7, March)
99.. FUNKYTOWN, Pseudo Echo (RCA) (#6, July)
100.. LOVE YOU DOWN, Ready For the World (MCA) (#9, Feb)

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy