Concerned About Skulls
This is Finish Your Monsters, a weekly 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 a quick revision pass on the film script for DEAD MEDIA.
And this week my goal might be to recalibrate my ability to look honestly at time! Which is a very shifty way to say I did not accomplish this goal.
At this point in the process of pre-production on the film, I’m spinning multiple plates. And all of them are equally time-sensitive: casting, hiring crew and production staff, continuing to fundraise, and pulling together props, costumes, set pieces, etc.
My brilliant plan for making time to do the revision pass on the script was to open up my computer on the flight from LA to Minneapolis and just buzz through it.
Here’s what I accomplished on the plane: I fell asleep immediately and did not drool on myself at all. That was an accomplishment and I’m damn proud of it. Another flight, drool free.
Balancing the practical of the film and the creative is needed right now but I’m still working to find my balance. Every time the business part gets too stressful, I try to do a little creative task. The night before the flight to Minneapolis, I stopped my flurry of packing to do a drawing.
I shared a rough image of this on the blog earlier. But I want a main character to have a sweatshirt with a musical skull on it. So I rekindled the passion and the fun by drawing this. It just goes to show, whenever the business part of art gets too stressful, just draw yourself a little skull.
ADVENTURES OF THE WEEK--
I’m here in my hometown of Minneapolis for about 10 days doing all sorts of pre-production for the film.
I was just in Minneapolis a few weeks ago.
I’ll be back in a few weeks to finish up pre-production and film the actual film. I’ll be here through early December.
I’ve always enjoyed visiting Minneapolis in the 10 years I’ve lived in our new home of Los Angeles. There’s a lot I miss about Minneapolis—friends, family, specific bars and restaurants, specific seasons (not winter), the general creative energy of the place, etc.
But it’s also strange to JUST VISIT a place that used to be your home. Sometimes, it feels like every corner has a different memory—good, bad, bittersweet. So I always try to visit Minneapolis as it is NOW. To engage with my friends as they are NOW. Otherwise, you risk slipping into trying to visit the past. The plane is not a time machine. It cannot take me back to my 20s and 30s. And as much as that pull is there, I wouldn’t want it to.
All of which is to say, I’m going to be here so much over the next couple of months, it doesn’t feel like a visit anymore. For the next few months, I’m going to live in Los Angeles and Minneapolis. I’m going to be bi-coastal if you consider the mighty Mississippi a coast.
As I’ve said constantly the last few blogs, the work on the film is a lot to juggle. So there’s no doubt I’m stressed.
I’ve had a few chats with family and friends about it. And it made me think of a vital distinction. Something I think is important to a big artistic challenge. To a big life challenge. Hell, to every day life.
It’s the distinction between CONCERN and FEAR. To me, concern is practical. It’s rational. It’s verifiable. While fear can tip very quickly into the irrational. There’s a difference between “I’m afraid I will fail” and “I’m cognizant of the reality that if I do not complete these 7 tasks in a timely fashion, it will cause failure.”
From the outside, I think concern and fear probably look pretty similar. A person with a furrowed brow moving fast. That could describe an actor wildly pacing backstage because they’re nervous. Or a firefighter rushing into a building because it is verifiably on fire.
On the inside, they can certainly feel the same. So I’m trying to be mindful of rushing and putting out flames when necessary. And stopping to take a breath when the flames are under control.
So my life adventures this week and for the foreseeable future is all about navigating different places. Los Angeles and Minneapolis. Fear and concern. Art and money.
And any time I become a bit overwhelmed, trying to recenter on the creative—the reason we’re doing this.
Yesterday, was the one year anniversary of finishing the first draft of DEAD MEDIA. A year later, I’m thrilled to be heading toward finishing this monster.
LIGHT PLUGS—
Speaking of DEAD MEDIA, here’s a way you can help!
We’ve got a fiscal sponsorship with the great Minnesota organization Film North. They can accept one-time donations that will go directly toward funding the film! It’s like a Kickstarter where the rewards are A) a tax deduction and B) helping us make the film.
We’re working hard to close a funding gap and Film North has been great. But unlike Kickstarter or Indie Go Go, it doesn’t have a deadline or a public $$ amount so rest assured—any amount helps and now is a great time to help!
For full info, please check out the page for the upcoming horror film, DEAD MEDIA!
Or if you have any questions about supporting the film, feel free to reach out to me personally!
MY GOAL FOR THE WEEK--
I guess my goal for this week is pure hubris. Because I’m going to try for the same goal I had last week. Really just setting myself up for the third time being the charm. Regardless, I’m committing to doing a quick revision pass on the film script.
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? Does it involved living in two cities? How can I help you literally finish your monsters?
A LITTLE SKETCH--
This week’s sketch is a picture of a man looking at a fine art painting of a cartoon squirrel and perhaps seeing himself reflected. Anyway, I hope everyone has good creative and life adventures and enjoys their monster this week.
