Those that know me best know that at the drop of a dime I can start philosophizing. Seriously, one time I was watching TV and saw a Taco Bell commercial. Next thing you know I’m whipping out a five page essay on the cultural significance of the slogan, “think outside the bun” Of course, this also means I can be extremely difficult for those close to me to deal with, which is one of the many reasons I love my wife so much. What it all boils down to is I have always had an undying need to change the world. I see so much injustice, corruption and suffering among many other things, that no human being should ever have to endure. And so, no matter how many organizations I volunteer with or how much change I give away to those down on their luck, I still come down on myself for not doing more and I am always searching.
More on that later…
I love movies. Some Friday nights I go to the movie store and rent 8 movies and watch them over the course of the next two days. Sometimes I challenge my family; they name a movie and I act out a scene in its entirety word for word and they hardly ever stump me. As much as I love The Godfather, Coen Brothers films and Quentin Tarantino what really moves me are documentaries. A well made documentary can truly enlighten one on a previously unrecognized issue. A well made documentary can provide a vehicle; telling a story that must be told that otherwise wouldn’t. A well made documentary can stimulate the masses, and indeed provoke change.
See where I’m going with this???
The other day I was at my son’s 6th grade football game. It was their Jamboree, so there were kids everywhere. As I was standing with my parents waiting for my son to come out, we noticed two people smoking right there in the middle of all the children on school grounds. Now, I have no problem with smokers. But seriously, there is a time and place. While everyone around me was commenting on this and how inappropriate it was, I did not hesitate; I walked right up to them and asked them where they thought they were. I proceeded to tell them this was hardly the place to be puffing on a heater. Well, he told me right where to go and what I should do with myself. Anyway, the point is I have no fear when it comes to calling people out on what is right and since I have this need to change the world and I see documentaries as a vehicle for change, then it fits naturally.
Why not make a movie???
So here I am working on a film, my first. Honestly I have always wanted to but this is the best idea I’ve ever had, and the timing is perfect. So what is my project? I cannot say just yet and there is a reason. This is a controversial subject, and much like with puffing-a-heater at 6th grade football guy I plan on marching up to people and insisting they are wrong. The difference between my film subjects and puffing-a-heater at 6th grade football guy is these people hide behind their gate-keepers in their cozy offices with a shield of lawyers and such. I need the opportunity to go to these people through open doors, unfortunately word travels faster than you think and if they get word of what I am doing these doors will close on me. There will come a time, after these interviews, when I will be shouting from the rooftops the name of my film and precisely what it is about.
Until then…
I ask you to keep tabs on my project; I will update this page frequently. Come on, it’s like a kid at Christmas and I know you are wrenching with anxiety over what subject I am taking head on. I am also asking for your support. Between my day job, taking care of my son and working on this project I am putting in about, oh I’d say 20 hr. days or so. Of course I’m still running around like a maniac and it feels like I’m always behind, I know the next thing to go is that 4 hours when I’m foolishly squandering my time laying unconscious in bed. But I do not tell you this for sympathy, indeed I have brought it on myself. What I am trying to say is I’m doing this for a reason, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t care about selling my film because I do want it to succeed, but my reasons are much more vast than that and I’m hoping after reading this, you have some understanding of what those reasons are. I would be happy to discuss more of what I’m doing if anyone wants to contact me.
