Always Something

Last night I had a long production meeting about a webseries that I’ve been tapped to be the Post Supervisor/Lead Editor on.  Which is exciting, but we’re not sure when the production is actually going to get produced.  So, right now, there are 3 different web series that I’m theoretically on board for but that aren’t quite getting produced just yet.  I’m still hoping that something comes through in the next couple weeks, but we’ll see.

The production was in the house of someone with cats.  I am very allergic to cats, I don’t understand why people have cats.  It’s like rubbing peanuts all over your house.  Sure, not everyone is allergic, but a lot of people are, and the ones that are have a real bad reaction.

Anyway, I was already woozy and weird and now one of my eyes is swollen shut.  So I called in sick to work, because I didn’t want to drive with one eye only kind of working and then have to sit in front of a computer in an allergic haze.  Yeah.

I’m trying to get in to this medical research thing about allergies.  I’m going to get a skin prick test today.  Seriously, anything for money out here.  I was disappointed when the ad for an adult film editor was taken off craigslist.  Hey, it’s work!

K.  I’m going to crawl back in bed for a while.  I’m hoping my eye returns to a normal size before I’m supposed to go to the doctor.

Always Something
{advertisement}

On Editing vs Writing

It’s sort of strange to be out here actively pursuing two different careers — writing and editing.  Writing is in some ways a much more natural outlet of mine, I don’t know that I could stop writing if someone told me I had to.  But, editing is a craft that I’ve been well trained in and is easy to market as a skill.  And I think the two seemingly different focuses are actually very similar.

You write the script, the director paints the film, and then the editor does a final polish.  In the editing room, I’ve created stories whole, rewritten things that didn’t work, and done things as simple as putting the shots in the order they’re supposed to go.  I can see how some people would find editing tedious, but massaging cuts is very rewarding to some OCD part of my brain.  Making comedic timing perfect or letting someone linger just long enough on a difficult moment.  The things you can do to cheat a shot are never ending.  Warp the time to fit words in someone’s mouth, speed things up when a take is too long, splice two shots together.  Cheating is fun.

I’m going to most likely be cutting a reel for an actress in the next couple weeks.  I find this exciting for lots of reasons. I love seeing actors ranges.  I worked as Casting Director for the Thesis Films and held casting in Tallahassee, NY and LA.  I loved seeing actors audition and give different renditions of the same words.  I also got thousands and thousands (not exaggerating) of submissions, many of whom sent in reels.  I watched a couple reels and almost inevitably the reels made me not nearly as enthusiastic as the headshot.  But occasionally, just occasionally, something in a reel really spoke to me.  I’m hoping to have the chance to do that for someone.

Of course, the difference between writing and editing is, when you edit, no matter how much you cheat, you can’t change what’s in the footage.

On Editing vs Writing

Sick, Job Worries

Ugh.  I partially hope it’s swine flu.  But not really.  I’m just woozy, it’s my main symptom.

There are some cool things in the works career wise, including a web series that I may be able to edit/color correct the entire series and be paid.  I might even get to DP, which would be exciting, I miss DPing.  But, the contracts are in negotiation, so I don’t wanna jinx it by saying too much.  The people are really cool and I’m hoping to get their input on my Nicholl script at some point, probably after the next draft.

Max Adams, the girl who is one of the more famous (and cutest) Nicholl winners and who, weirdly, shares a name with a guy I went to Film School with and who holds the record for worst punishment ever at West Point, is also on Word Press.  I hold secret hopes that this post is about me, though I’m sure it probably isn’t.

There’s some mild chaos at work in my department, I’m hoping it gets resolved in a way that doesn’t lead to me losing my job.  I’d much rather leave for a better job than desperately search for any job that’ll have me.  If you got here because I sent you my resume, hi and welcome!

I’ve gotten nothing but sleeping and lazing about done in the last few days.  I’ve been watching an unbelievable amount of movies and documentaries about Tudor England.  I’d be hard pressed to explain my obsession but I’ll go ahead and blame the fact that I thought I looked like Queen Elizabeth as a child.

swine flu

Sick, Job Worries