A Very Important Toy
This is Finish Your Monsters, a weekly blog/newsletter/blogletter about the creative process. I'm sharing adventures in art and life as well as setting CLIFFHANGER goals for myself, so--
--DID I MAKE MY GOAL?
Last week, I committed to doing more work on the feature film I’m producing. Specifically, I declared I’d send a combined total of 20 messages about fundraising, casting, and locations.
I over-did it but with an asterisk. I sent about 30 emails. Most of them about fundraising, a handful about casting, and none about locations. I look with shame on the “locations emails” bullet point on my to do list. This week, you will be avenged.
In general, there’s been some good forward movement on the film. Got a revised budget with multiple drafts so we can make solid choices. The LLC is all set-up. Yesterday, I got the bank account set-up AND I got the legal papers for investors back AND I had a very productive meeting with an investor AND I recorded Star Wars podcasts for 3 hours (unrelated to the film.) Now I just need what all humans want and need—more investors.
The journey to make this indie film is stressful but it is also a good way to look in the mirror.
I think I’ve known this truth about myself for a long time, but this process makes it very clear. I have a very bold side and a very timid side. I am Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Shy. I suspect most of us swing between those extremes. I don’t want to be rude or pushy, but for the most part, making interesting things happen requires some amount of Mr. Bold, so I’m trying to remember that and push past Mr. Timid.
Here’s the other thing: Human connection just comes with risk. Around 2022, I became very aware that I wanted to make a shift in my career. I considered focusing on writing. Nice, long novels that would keep my typing quietly to myself. One of the reasons I chose to focus on film is it would force me to connect with PEOPLE. And that’s worked. I’ve spent more time with friends, I’ve met lots of new people, I’ve taken risks and I’ve been rewarded.
Now, let’s see if I can remember the inspiring speech I just typed when I send 10 more emails later today.
ADVENTURES OF THE WEEK--
Most of this week was work, work, and more work. But I did have some fun. A really great meeting with a writer’s group I’ve been involved with for many years. The return of Sutekh the Destroyer bringing his gift of Classic Doctor Who vibes to the finale of a refreshingly new season of modern Doctor Who.
But the best adventure of the week was a visit to the Academy Museum here in Los Angeles. I’ve been to the museum many times and always enjoy, but this was a special trip. For a limited time, they have a display on the Dykstraflex camera—the big technical and creative innovation that made the effects of the original Star Wars films possible.
The display features the camera itself, the fridge size computer they used to run it, some modern models of the Falcon and an X-Wing, and a great interview with John Dykstra explaining the “hive mind” (his quote) of creators who invented the camera.
I’ve been a Star Wars fan for a long time and I continue to spend time in that world because the films (all of them) always seem to have something more to tell me as I get older.
As I work on making a film myself, the behind-the-scenes stories are even more resonant. The Dykstraflex hit me particularly hard for a couple of reasons. One is just the spirit of it: We have a problem to solve, let’s be creative about it. That spirit of invention can be so easily quashed by time, stress, rigidity, etc. So it’s inspiring to look at that camera and see a physical manifestation of a “There Must Be A Solution” attitude.
The other big thing that moved me was the duality of what the camera represented. It’s a symbol of two essential parts of the creative process: Precision and Play.
The breakthrough was a technical system that would allow the camera to move through multiple axes of motion, then record it on the computer, and REPEAT that exact set of motions PRECISELY.
And all of this technical precision was in service of making spaceships go ZOOOOOOOOM! This groundbreaking invention of motors and data tapes was made by serious engineers and technicians because they wanted spaceships to zip and spin and dive in an organic, flowing, human way.
I love looking at creativity that way. Writing takes precision. If you move one word in a line of dialogue, sometimes just an “ummm”, the line suddenly comes to life. One adjustment can something heartbreaking, hilarious, human. Precision and play!
The final detail in the exhibit that spoke to my toy-loving heart was a surprise. It was tucked around the corner, behind a pillar, easy to potentially miss. It was a 1974 Mechagodzilla toy that the Special Effects team—all giant genre fans—adopted as a mascot. Mechagodzilla would ride the Dykstraflex as it captured those indelible, genre-changing images.
A final bit of crucial inspiration for the film I’m trying to make: WHICH ACTION FIGURE OF MINE SHOULD RIDE THE CAMERA?
MY GOAL FOR THE WEEK--
I need to keep my foot on the filmmaking gas, so I’m giving myself two goals this week. I’m committing to sending 15 more business emails AND completing a revision of the script for budget purposes. Thankfully, I have many action figures to inspire me.
YOUR GOAL FOR THE WEEK--
I would absolutely LOVE to hear what you're working on this week in the comments below. What's your goal? Is it creative? What are the challenges? What are the joys? How will emails find you? How can I help you finish your monsters?
LIGHT PLUGS—
Awooga! Big news! For many weeks, my blog goal was about getting all the materials pulled together for a big birthday show. And here it is! To celebrate/resist the existential dread of a milestone birthday I’m doing a fun comedy-variety show about aging. It’s called HORROR YEARS OLD and tickets are live here! Friday, August 16th at Lyric-Hyperion. I would love a packed house so if you’re interested, grab the tickets now!
The kind patrons of my Patreon keep my production company, Strange Path, afloat. Costs for computer programs, accounting fees, film festival submissions, etc. Right now, our short film The Narrator starring Phil LaMarr is available exclusively to patrons months early. Other films coming to Patreon soon!
I also wanted to share about Vote Forward—it’s a program where you sign up to write letters to voters. There’s a typed form and you add a personal message about WHY voting matters to you, nothing partisan. The org has done follow up studies and it really works to increase voter turnout. My goal this year is to write 200 letters. I’ve written 40 so far. If you’re interested, you can find out more by visiting Vote Forward!
A LITTLE SKETCH--
This week’s sketch is a self portrait of me thinking about this blog entry. The precise side stays in the thought bubble but the play side cannot be contained!
