hell i still love you new york

hell i still love you new york

so i’m back in dc from spending a couple of days in new york for the PRAXIS premiere at New Filmmakers, and i feel like i’m in a completely different space: one that is more free, creative, inspired, and less stressed out, less anxiety, and more ready to work on the myriad of film projects that are going on at the time. i feel like i’m filled with a new sense of positive energy, one that is more willing to concentrate on the creative side, and less on the negative energy that seems to be the majority of the film industry. as cliche as it may sound, i do feel that anything is possible, if you just put your mind down to it. and actually, this feeling is incredibly liberating.

The premiere of the film at New Filmmakers was an incredible success – it’s safe to say that it’s been the best audience response to the film so far. and i’m glad to hear so many people talk about the film not only just positively, but also about all of the images and themes that inspired them, all of the things that they took away from the experience of watching the film on the big screen. to have such a great response to the film is incredibly validating. i got so caught up in the moment that i didn’t end up shooting any video or taking any pictures of the event. i guess to me, it was more important to connect with people at that moment than shoot any video or take pics. so it goes…

it was really great to catch up with my good friend Barney, who has been helping to run New Filmmakers for a very long time now. i met him years ago when my short film Unfortunate Man screened there (and for anyone who hasn’t seen UMAN, you can watch the entire film online at www.damagedfilms.com/U_Man.html ), and he’s been in the new york indie film scene for a very long time. so, i love talking to him about all things film related – he’s got so much wisdom and insight about the industry, and i always learn something from our conversations. we talked about the current state of indie film and what filmmakers need to do with the internet in relation to putting their work out there. the whole thing is both exciting and frightening, but i think every filmmaker needs to think about the different ways that they can put their stuff out there, and to concentrate more on the things that they can control and do on there own without relying on any outside sources.

on the train ride up to new york, i watched a documentary called WAMEGO STRIKES BACK from my good friend Steve Balderson, an incredibly talented filmmaker from Kansas. this documentary was about his first feature FIRECRACKER, and the distribution hell that went on with it after it played the festival circuit. this doc was incredible, and I think it’s one that every filmmaker and/or aspiring filmmaker must to see. i totally agree with steve in that the easiest part of filmmaking is making the movie. the hardest part is getting it out there. needless to say, i learned a ton from this doc, and realized that some of the things that i was going through with the promotion of PRAXIS were exactly the same things that steve went through. so, if you haven’t seen WAMEGO, you MUST see this doc.

at the screening, i finally met tom macy’s parents, and they were so cool. i’ve heard so much about them during the course of making the film for the past few years, and i told them that they should be very proud of tom – he’s an incredibly talented actor, and we were so fortunate to find him way back when, during the auditioning. he did a fantastic job with the film, and the majority of the audiences have been so impressed with his acting. it’s beautiful, and tom is such a low-key, down-to-earth guy: he was totally stoked at the screening, and it was awesome, and i could tell that his parents were very very proud that tom did such a great job.

the following day, i was able to meet up with my good friend andrew and his partner roland for lunch. roland is also an incredibly accomplished filmmaker, and andrew is a total sweetheart. me and andrew have been good friends for quiet some time now, so being able to catch up with both of them was awesome, even if it was just for lunch. roland always gives me such great insights into the film industry, and he is also such a good-hearted, down-to-earth guy – i learn a ton from talking to roland. when i mention stan brakage or jonas mekas, roland knows what i’m talking about. it’s awesome to have a fellow filmmaker that understand you, one that’ on the same page. and i think it’s important to surround yourself with like-minded sorts, the kinds of people that will inspire you, and encourage you to do more and think creatively. andrew pointed out to me that one of the things that he enjoyed most about PRAXIS, what made it stand out from other indie films, is that the visuals were so strong, that it had high production value, and the cinematography was beautiful. most indies don’t spend the time and/or have the money for good cinematography. but at the same time, i think, first and foremost, the film HAS to look as good as possible on screen. but i think what made me really stoked, was seeing how happy both roland and andrew were together – seeing your friends in a ‘good’ space sends out such a good vibe. i was really glad to be able to spend time with both roland and andrew during my short visit to nyc.

despite all the good and bad things about New York, i still find the city incredibly inspiring. the city is filled with so much going on. everyone is busy working on ‘something’. but for me to present a ‘gay/art/film’ like PRAXIS at New Filmmakers, one that is deeply visual, and not a whole lot of dialogue – people actually ‘get it.’ and i think that’s what makes crowds on the east and west coasts different. and that’s so awesome.

so, i’m back in dc, re-energized, and ready to get back to work. i’m currently working on putting together the soundtrack cd for the film, and maybe even consider putting together a cool collage type book for the film. i kind of feel like there was so much that went on with the production and everything else, that it really needs something to compile everything into one album, something to show how much hard work and heart that went into making the film. i’m also working on a couple of new scripts, testing out different visual techniques that i may use for some future projects, working on a couple of music videos, re-considering my old script for the DEAD SOLDIER as something that could be done on an indie budget, planning the DVD release options for PRAXIS, and i may even decide to work on a more freeform project that involves going back to shot on an old school bolex.

needless to say, the premiere of PRAXIS at New Fimmakers was awesome – the whole new york trip was absolutely incredible and inspiring for me.

hell, i still love you new york.

LA Premiere of PRAXIS at Brilliant Light FF – Recap

So, it’s been a few days, and i’ve had some time to recover from the trip to LA – the premiere of PRAXIS at the Brilliant Light Film Festival, staying with my good friend Bob in Silver Lake, and even taking Tom Macy out to a beach in malibu for the ‘total LA experience.’ usually when i take a trip like this, it takes some time for me to recover and re-think about everything that is going on with my life and the life of the film, and the friends and people that i care about. i think it’s always important to surround yourself with the right kind of people, the true friends that you can depend on, and the ones that will truly support you whatever the situation, and not the ones that are just blowing smoke up your ass, or are only using you to get some thing. granted it’s always hard to judge the character of people, but i think if you’re upfront and honest and direct, and if you expect the same from others, then like minded people will seek you out. as simple as this seems, it’s something that i’ve learned over the years, and it’s definitely worked both in working relations and also when it comes to friendships.

so, where to start? i flew into LA on a thursday, and my friend Bob was able to take some time out and take me to the Griffith Observatory near his house in Silver Lake. the sun was out and we got some incredible views of the entire LA skyline. I’m sure there have been lots of people who’ve looked upon the LA cityscape and thought about all the ‘possibilities’ that the city has to offer. It was very cool, and to think that in a couple of days, PRAXIS was going to have it’s LA premiere – i had to laugh to myself. that yes, even in Hollywood, a ‘gay-art-film’ can even screen here, despite the millions of dollars being poured into schlock everyday. of course, this is something that you envision for – that the film will have a certain amount of festival recognition and success. but since this is something that you can’t control, only hope for, to have it actually happen, it’s incredibly validating. anyhoo, later that evening, Bob took me to his favorite Vietnamese ‘Pho’ place, and it was totally awesome- definitely on the of the best that i’ve had around. Bob explained to me the whole East LA vs West LA idea – West Hollywood and ‘Boy Town’ is where all the rich people and the justin timberlake wannabees hang out to be ‘discovered,’ while all the ‘real’ people hang out in Silver Lake. i totally got that vibe, and if i had to live in LA, i’d live in Silver Lake. i’m totally understanding why Bob lives there, even though, it was hard to picture at first.

Friday was spent running around getting ready for the fest, and Tom Macy was coming into town that evening. He had never been to LA before, but i think for his acting career to take off, he totally needs to be in LA. fortunately, for directors, i don’t think it’s as essential, but for serious actors, i do think that you need to live in LA. Because the fest went so well, i think Tom will eventually move out to the west coast. He’s incredibly talented, he’s young and upwardly mobile, and i think if he’s serious about acting, he’ll do well in LA. The hardest part of being in LA is that everyone is in the business in some way or form, but most people that i’ve met are pretty cynical and apathetic. so if you can remain positive about your work, and truly believe in it, you’ll do well regardless of location. as simple as an idea this is, i think it’s very difficult to maintain this positive outlook because LA is so full of naysayers and wannabes. the most talented people that i’ve met in the business have always been honest, down to earth people who never talk about their job – they just do it. that’s it. and these are the people that you want to develop working relationships with. not all the douche bags that LA seems to be overrun with. at least on the east coast, there’s always people working on somthing all the time, and i get a sense that they’re more direct. LA seems so ‘lackadaysical’, nobody can give you a straight answer, and nobody is in a rush to do anything. but i think for anyone to do well in the creative field, they have to not only have to have great creative talent, but also a certain sense of business savvy to put your work out there. without the business end of things, it’s hard for people to see your work. if you can maintain both ends, the creative and business ends, you’ll do well.

anyhoo, on saturday, me and tom drove out to a beach in Malibu, one that was a little further up the coast and a little bit more out of the way. needless to say, it was incredible, and it looked like some place that they would’ve shot the ending scene to PLANET OF THE APES. it was so cool to see Tom out of his normal ‘New York’ surroundings, and what was funny, was that it really didn’t take that long to go out there. either way, it was way cool, and something totally worth doing. come to find out, there are lots of people in LA who don’t go to the beach, even though it’s incredibly nearby and easy to get to. i think most people get caught up in their own little neighborhood and their own everyday, that they forget how important it is to stop and take in all the beauty that this world has to offer. even a few minutes of staring out at the sea, listening to the waves, can have a profound effect on your life and your perspective. it’s something totally worth it, and i think people should do it more often.

so, how to describe the film fest? well, the fest was really small, but it was on a cool ‘lot’ and i got a chance to wander around all the different sound stages and the little two-story writer ‘cabanas’ spread out around the studios. the festival director and people organizing the fest were very cool, and they loved the film. Tom ended up bringing his ‘entourage’ of fellow actress friends that he went to school with who now live in LA. I’m sure they not only were excited to see tom in a movie, but also got a kick out of seeing him making out on screen with andrew. fun stuff…either way, the screening was way cool, and i got kind of caught up in taking in everything, so i didn’t take any pics or video or such. so it goes…

So, the trip to LA was such a really good time – i’m glad that i was able to catch up with Bob, and that we’re talking about future projects, and maybe even putting together a PRAXIS soundtrack cd. but for now, i can’t rest too much on my laurels – in about a month, PRAXIS is having it’s New York premiere at New Filmmakers, which will be a lot of fun. regardless, i’m taking things one step at a time, and enjoying all the work that i’m doing – staying focused and positive, which i think is ultimately the most important thing to keep in mind.

i’ll miss my friend bob. but i’m sure that we’ll see each other real soon – whether he’ll be back here in DC, or me back there sometime. either way, it was a really great trip all around, one that i’ll enjoy looking back on whenever i’m a little down.

xoxo,

a

PRAXIS @ DCIFF promo videos

So the Premiere of PRAXIS at the DC Independent Film Festival on March 8th was really awesome, and a really great time all around. Both Tom and Andrew were able to come down from New York to attend, and a ton of people showed up, even tho the screening was so late in the evening.

To help recap the event, i’ve put together these two short little videos, one of the pre-screening, and one of the Q and A. I hope you get a good feel for what the night was like, and i hope that you enjoy the videos.

Thanks so much to the DC Independent Film Festival and our good friend Doug for shooting such awesome video.

cheers!

New Making of Video

The Making of PRAXIS (2007)

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so, i decided to put together a shorter version of the Making of Praxis on-line and on our myspace page. the longer version is about 20 minutes or so, and is basically meant for DVD extras and other publicity stuff. this 5 minute version is a lot more concise, and will hopefully help promote the film in a different way, mainly for the upcoming American Film Market.

watching this short video is incredibly encouraging. and i hope posting will help inspire other filmmaker to continue to make movies in their own way.

-al