First cut, minimal changes!

YES!!! My first cut of a broadcast spot for the new project I started last week has gone before the studio and they came back with minor changes! I am seriously happy, most notably because the one thing I was afraid they'd boycott was the music track I picked out. Thankfully they seem to like it! So yes, I am having an amazing day!!

Much better than this morning's awful traffic scenario: continued construction work on the 405, Obama still in town AND it was raining.

My "Tower Heist" broadcast spot on SNL

I just learned that one of my "Tower Heist" broadcast spots premiered on Saturday Night Live over the weekend. Unfortunately we didn't watch or DVR it, but it's good to know the spot's making the rounds as we go into the last two weeks before the movie is released on November 4. Going to check and see if it's gone up online as well.

The new Paul W.S. Anderson "Three Musketeers" opens today...

...and I'll be BOYCOTTING this awful movie to watch the best version of Alexandre Dumas' classic story starring Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finley in the 10th Box Cinema this weekend!!!

And with that said I can now reveal that the 10th Box has an official website:

www.10thboxcinema.com

That's right! Yes, it's all for complete and utter amusement with a bit of pride for my home theater thrown in...just for the hell of it! So go check it out and remember to book your tickets early because seating is limited!

The Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards

I was asked about a week and a half ago here at work if I wanted to go to the Hollywood Reporter's Key Art Awards. Even though at the time I would have been a bit more excited to be asked to the Golden Trailer Awards instead, I began to realize as the event was happening this past Wednesday and on the following day when everyone was talking about it that maybe I should have gone.

Even though I wasn't nominated for anything, I began to do a little more research as to the overall importance of the Key Arts and exactly how long they've been around. The Golden Trailers have been in existence for a little over ten years. The Key Arts, forty years! In fact they just celebrated that milestone with Monday night's event.

My thinking had always been that the GTA's were more closely associated with winning the Oscar for trailers. The KA's came across as a trade paper acknowledgement rather than a major film organization shining the spotlight on achievement. Something I didn't need to get overly excited about. As of this week I've begun to think that this was a misconception.

The Key Arts honor achievement in all things movie advertising; from trailers and broadcast spots to 1-sheets and print ads to DVD packaging to movie theater standees and everything in between. This year's event was held at the Arclight Dome in Hollywood which of course is a beautiful theatre. Several people from In Sync were in attendance as well as representatives from all the major trailer houses.

In part I feel like I missed out. But in the end my realization became that next year, when perhaps I may be nominated for a trailer or broadcast spot, attending this obvious high level award show would resonate so much more. Click on the award photo to go to the official site. This is the newly revamped statue, BTW. Previously it was a tall, slim crystal pyramid.

"Tower Heist" finished broadcast spot UPDATE

Just found out last night that a second "Tower Heist" broadcast spot I cut has also gone to finish. That makes two in one week which is pretty amazing! These will be airing very shortly as the movie opens in two weeks. As soon as I have finished versions of both I'll be posting them here. Stay tuned!

Rebecca just told me that Universal will be having a special screening of "Tower Heist" on November 1, which will also stand as my premiere in connection with working on the film. I'm really looking forward to us seeing the finished version on the big screen!

New broadcast spot going to finish and the next project

One of my broadcast spots for "Tower Heist" has been approved by the studio and is going to finish...and I'm very happy about that! Put in a lot of work on this project starting in August with many multiple versions they kept changing and revising. It's great to see something I've cut for this movie head to the finish line with flying colors!

This week I started a new project for a film that definitely has some early Oscar buzz surrounding it. I'm absolutely feeling the magnitude of this one and will be cutting with a lot of style and a certain amount of edginess. Music will definitely be key as well and I've actually pulled some off-the-map tracks that I think fit the mood and tone of this film. Pretty exciting!

Today is Steve Jobs Day!

For those Apple enthusiasts out there (like myself, of course!), today is the day the new iPhone 4S is available in stores! Rebecca ordered hers online one week ago and should be receiving it in the mail today.

In celebration of this event, millions of Apple fans around the globe have designated today 'Steve Jobs Day' to remember the man who changed the way we communicate, listen to music, watch movies AND edit trailers! I only wish I wasn't working so I could go to an Apple Store and experience the vibe of this day. The good news is I can absolutely head there tonight after work.

Just read a news story on CNN and The Hollywood Reporter about how Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak waited in line for 18 hours to be the first at his local Los Gatos, California Apple Store to buy the new iPhone 4S! That's awesome!!! What an amazing way to honor the memory of his long time friend and co-founder! Even though he could have just asked for one, turns out he had two on order to arrive at his home but was buying an additional one for his wife. The main reason he HAD to be there was to celebrate this day amongst the fans, and I can totally relate to that!

Click on the links for the full story.

Re-release screening of "Ghostbusters" tonight

"Ghostbusters" is being re-released in 500 theaters nationwide this Halloween month...and it's not too far of a stretch to realize that the studio is probably gauging turnout in connection with giving "Ghostbusters III" the greenlight.

Tonight's screening is the first of three happening over the course of the next couple of week. We'll be heading to the Arclight Hollywood where an Ecto-1 will be on display, and we can surely expect to see the SoCal Ghostbusters in full uniform and proton backpacks. This will be a 4K presentation so I'm definitely looking forward to experiencing the movie like I'm seeing it for the first time. That's what happened when saw "Back to the Future" in 4K last November. Just beautiful!

"Tower Heist" trailer #2 from In Sync

Here is the official second trailer for "Tower Heist", cut right here at In Sync. Although I didn't have a hand in this, it was still cool to see the creative process over the past few weeks going to finish. And with that said I think I can officially announce that I've been cutting broadcast spots for this movie over the past month and a half. Of course, as usual when watching trailers online these days, you have to wade through the commercial first.

The movie opens November 4 and stars Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy and Matthew Broderick.

Time to celebrate!!!

With mid-week seeing me secure the staff position at In Sync, it's now time to turn our attention to celebrating this goal achieved!

Original the plan was to go to The Palm in West Hollywood, but further thoughts of finding something even more uniquely Hollywood led Rebecca to do some research and pull up a list of fine steak house restaurants. What we ultimately decided on is Mastro's Steakhouse, located just two blocks from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The place is gorgeous and absolutely reflects the classic Hollywood look and feel I'd hoped to have included with our dining experience.

Being that it's right in the heart of Beverly Hills, celebrities often dine at this establishment. So you never know who might be at the next table. Our reservations are for tomorrow in the late afternoon. We can't wait!!

Changing the world...in the palm of your hand

The work that those rare individuals who do change the world accomplish can often times be seen in broad brushstrokes; you realize it's there and that it has affected people around the globe, but you can't always feel or touch it.

What Steve Jobs (and his team) gave us is in the palm of my hand, allowing me to communicate and be connected with incredible ease and efficiency. In my car / at home / on a trip, offering me the ability to enjoy every single song / album / video in my media library and the option to add so much more with one click. At work, enabling me to creatively and passionately realize my own dreams.

Every....single....day.

Steve Jobs dies

I am completely in shock at the quickness of Steve Jobs passing after stepping down as CEO of Apple! Wow....just....wow! In connection with my major career achievement today, I have to post a quote from his speech to Stanford grads in 2005:

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on."

Goodbye, Steve. Thank you for changing our world forever. You absolutely changed my life.

Staff position: IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

As of today, October 5, 2011, I am now a STAFF trailer editor at In Sync Advertising!!! My three month probationary period, begun July 5, has just finished.

When I came to LA in 2002 for a series of interviews (including one at In Sync!) my goal was to cut major studio, theatrical release movie trailers and eventually land a staff position at a top trailer house.

This is it! GOAL: ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Time to seriously celebrate! Bring on the gi-normous steak dinner over the coming weekend as I look back on the road I took to get to this amazing place in my career! I'VE ARRIVED AT THE DREAM!!!

New projects in the week of going staff

So here we are! The week I sign on the dotted line that I am...in fact...a staff editor at In Sync Advertising!

Tomorrow marks three months to the day that I began here, right out of the gate working on broadcast spots for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". I've absolutely added several high profile movie trailer projects to my resume just in the last ninety days, more than I could have previously amassed in an entire year.

Looking forward to the next wave of movies, some of which I'm working on now and some I hope to be involved with very soon. One in particular I'm really excited about and really can't speak of at the moment (as usual) is gonna be a lot of fun to cut!

After I'm officially a staff editor here I'll be making a copy of my first check under that title to frame and proudly hang on the wall. This is the culmination of fifteen years moving up the ladder of my career and I certainly intend to celebrate as Rebecca and I head to The Palm this weekend to eat, drink and bask in the moment. It's a steak house that Steve McQueen use to frequent (among many other celebrities) and it's become one of our go-to restaurants for special occasions.