'P' Is For Portman, NOW SHUT THE F@#K UP!!

Continuing the first quarter '06 update...

Finally did something I'd been wanting to do for a few years now. Crystal and I went to Times Square for New Year's Eve! Had a great time but was a little unprepared for a few things, like the logistics of maneuvering around crowd control. When all was said and done we couldn't directly see the ball drop, but was right next to where all the confetti fell. Would like to do it again but with a bit better planning. Like reserving a room at the Marriott overlooking the whole thing!!

And then, after the holidays, it was time to head back to LA and pick up where I left off...sort of.

Precision Post's promise that work only goes down for around a month during the end of December, beginning of January has stretched as far as this month. As of now I've only worked there for one day. I've had two calls from them during the last month regarding an upcoming project but both have ended up being pushed off. I'm sure things will pick up there again at some point. Just a question of when.

The week after my one day of work I gathered all the work I did at Precision during '05 and spent 3 weeks upgrading my reel and resume, as well as pulling together a list of 20 top trailer and general post houses I want to work for. Some new, some re-contacts.

Two and a half weeks ago I drove throughout Burbank, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Culver City hand delivering all of these. Some would say I could have just mailed them but I actually enjoy doing so in person. I feel like I'm connecting more with what I'm trying to achieve. Keeps me in touch with the goal.

Just two days later I received a call from Judy at Picture Production Company
who said she really liked my reel and is interested to have me come in for an interview. However the person I'd be doing that with directly was out for the week because his wife was having a baby. She said he'd call upon his return. As of today I haven't gotten that call so I left a voicemail for Judy to follow up. This could definitely be a really great step forward if I can get in the door.

In the meantime Precision Post has continued to be slow in bringing in work. Thank God for a producer I worked with at Autonomy named Angela. She is no longer with them but has formed her own company, NuContext Creative, with another ex-Autonomy producer named Ron. Apparently a number of clients who came in the door at Autonomy were brought there by Angela, so naturally she took them with. Over the past month I've been doing a number of projects with her for USA and Lifetime Networks. Several trailer promos for current and upcoming films, "Failure To Launch", "The Sentinel", and "RV", the latter I am in the middle of completing. She's in NYC tomorrow to get some sound bites from Robin Williams for the spot. Part of the press junket for the film.

BTW on a side note, Autonomy has gone through some major, major changes. At the end of '05 they fired just about everyone keeping only a skeleton crew. Rick, the president, was having financial difficulties making things work; mounting costs due to the changing marketplace. So he's moved from Hollywood to Studio City and turned his facility into a '4 wall', which is an industry term meaning a post house that does not produce it's own content, reliant on outside clients to bring work in. Some of the ex-staff editors show up occasionally to do contract work, but on the whole there are only 5 staff people left. Previously Autonomy had in-house produced spots and content for several major studios and networks.

Anyway, Angela at her new company has really been saving my butt while I await those 19 updated reels and resumes to kick in and Precision to start bringing in the amount of work to warrant freelance need. She's even helped me get in the door at an advertising agency where yet another ex-Autonomy producer has been working for a few months.

Fluent Advertising designs and creates studio 1-sheets as well as DVD box art and menu graphics. Now they want to move into the theatrical and DVD trailer market. Their contract with Paramount and DreamWorks has allowed them to now bring a series of spec trailers to the table. So about two weeks ago David (Angela's producer friend who now works for Fluent) called saying he was looking for a good editor and she referred me to him. It's nice to be loved!

Over the course of the last two weeks, in between cutting those USA trailers for NuContext, I've been working with David on the following spec projects: theatrical trailer for "Bone Collector" (Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie), DVD trailers for "Be Cool" and "Into The Blue". I just finished the last one this morning which will now be sent to Paramount and DreamWorks to say, 'hey, look what else we can do!'. The 'Powers That Be' at Fluent say chances are good for a favorable come back...but you never really know what's going to happen in this industry until the phone rings. In the meantime, both David and Misha (the president of Fluent) really love my work and enjoy working with me. Big points there for the future. I am definitely at the top of their list to call if and when something does happen. I naturally hope it does. And yes I am getting paid for all of this.

Of course the bump in the road called 'Precision didn't come through as I hoped' has put off my buying a new car until sometime later in the year. Alas, that little red Mini Cooper has to wait.

Spring has arrived and a number of cool summer movie openings is almost here. Despite the departure of Brian Singer from the "X-Men" franchise (onto to more 'Super' projects), the new trailer for "X3: The Last Stand" looks pretty amazing. Yeah, Brett Ratner is directing and I'm not sure the film will have anything close to Singer's heart and soul...but who knows. "Superman Returns" is the jewel I cannot wait for! Despite the fact I've had a continued issue with the yellow belt buckle being an 'S' instead of just an oval shape, I have total faith in Brian Singer's touch and vision. "Superman, The Movie" is his altar and it certainly sounds like he's been praying to the right Gods; Christoper Reeve and Richard Donner. BTW, saw a few screen grabs from the forthcoming "Superman Returns" video game. Supes back is to the player quite a bit, and guess what? No yellow 'S' on the back of the cape. It stands to reason they are taking the costume design directly from the movie. So they moved it to the belt buckle. Still not happy...but it's Brian Singer! Regardless I know once again I will believe a man can fly! The teaser trailer with Brando's Jor-El VO brought chills. And apparently Warner's has already greenlit a sequel based on what they've seen so far. Sounds great, now show me the money!