Brad started the syncing process from day 4 of production. Two more days to go through before everything is synced and ready to be cut. I can’t wait to edit and see the puzzle pieces fall into place!

 
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5-22-13

We are on day three of syncing sound from Justine and Barry. We shot 13 hours of footage for our 20 minute film. This gives us a ton of choices in post which is great! For the Blu-ray we plan on doing a gag reel as well. I know it will be a while before we get everything cut, but my anticipation is growing as I scroll through the footage and see how gorgeous it looks. I grabbed some cool shots, but I was on camera for most of it. Thanks to the hard work of my husband Brad and Danny Buonsanto for the amazing camera work!

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5-20-13

Today we wrapped Barry and Justine. Everyone did such a great job, and I am really excited to see it all come together in post. We’ll update as we go. It’s going to be fun! Thanks to all our actors who gave their time, energy, and talent to make our film a reality!

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5-19-13

12 hours of production, and we got tons of footage. It looks so good! Our actors gave wonderful performances today, and we all had a good time! Tomorrow is the last day of production, and it begins very early. I am excited to finish our fifth and final day strong!

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5-18-13

At 9am this morning, we began shooting, and wrapped at 6, 13 short scenes later. We had two shooters, one of which, Danny Buonsanto, has been working as a cinematographer for years and had a wealth of knowledge. We got so much done and had fun too. It was a wonderful day!

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5-16-13

What a fun day on the set of Barry and Justine! We had four locations to shoot today, and five scenes, one of which was a wedding. The location we chose for the wedding was this gorgeous spot in Bridgeport next to a bunch of roses. It is also across from the Elementary school. Brad went to the parking lot to meet the actress playing the Pastor, and suddenly we had a cop interrupt our scene. He said a parent complained that Brad, wearing his sunglasses and audio equipment, looked suspicious near the school. She was afraid he was a terrorist trying to blow up the school with his audio recorder. It was a pretty funny.

Another scene we shot, had our lead Barry, played by Joel Abelson, doing push ups. With all the coverage we got, he probably did over 200 or so. Joel is former military, so he handled it well and gave us a great performance. Orel De La Mota, who also starred in the scene as a personal trainer, did an amazing job as well. We have a montage of him looking incredibly sexy that was ridiculously fun to shoot! The shots looked incredible!

We are working with a second photographer this weekend, since I will be in front of the camera all day, and we have so many scenes to shoot. His name is Danny Buonsanto ( www.dannybuonsanto.com ) and if you look at his work, he is extremely talented. We are excited to work with him. Already he has improved the film just by telling us about the Technicolor package you can download specifically for your Canon 7D, which gives a fantastic color profile. Our shots look amazing, and they haven’t even been color corrected yet!

On Saturday, we shoot most of Barry and Justine’s home scenes. We will be going everywhere, from the bedroom to the bathtub. It should be fun and very busy! Sunday is the interview and voice over sessions, and I know we will be doing some improv which will give us some great material for the gag reel on the Blu-Ray. Today, we got some hilarious stuff with our funny and talented actor Brendan Nagle who plays Fred. That guy rocked it!!! :o)

After our Sunday shoot with Barry, we have a few scenes in the park with other cast members. One of which is Roger Browne, who is 83 and has been in film since the 1960s. He lived in Rome back then, and you can read all about him on his Wiki page. He is a very interesting man.

We will also be shooting with Theophilus Clark who I cast through his reel on LACastings because he was so good! Also we will have Stephanie Allen who plays the daughter to Roger Browne’s character. Overall, I am very happy with our cast, and super excited by the footage we got today!

P.S.: Why did I name the male lead Barry? After president Obama of course…

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5-14-13

Last night, I created the bible for Barry which is the production book broken down in scene order for shooting days, along with shot sheets, story boards, prop lists, costumes, etc…I’m excited to shoot this, and there is so much to do! We do still need volunteers, so contact me if you’re available.

I am excited to get back to Sandy Beach next week. Spending time away from it has been very difficult for me, since I love the script and the new direction it has taken, which had made the movie more thrilling! There are definitely going to be some effects in a scene at the end. Brad’s work on The Sphere will be good practice for the special effects in Sandy Beach.

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5-12-13

It’s Mother’s Day… and I’m working and loving it. Our short is shooting this week starting on Thursday. I am juggling a cast of nearly a dozen people, locations, wardrobe, schedules, props etc…

My comedy script called Barry is Modern Family meets Curb Your Enthusiasm. It’s a fun ride with a very talented cast. I am so excited to shoot it! Contact me if you are want to help out. It’s going to be lots of fun!

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5-10-13

I am currently casting Barry, my 20 page short that shoots next week. If you are available to volunteer, call me or message me. It will be so fun! :o)

We shot Brad’s short The Sphere today. We got lots of coverage, and now it’s off to post where Brad will edit, score and model all the effects shots before color timing. It’s going to look awesome!

I finished the rewrite of Sandy Beach last night. I want the script to be PERFECT before I go into production, so I will be sending it to a seasoned screenwriter again to get any additional notes. I absolutely love my characters and the story!

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5-9-13

We are gearing up for shooting our feature Sandy Beach. I am still finalizing the script and will start the casting process and kick Starter as soon as we lock the script.

Tomorrow, we go into production on an effects short Brad wrote.

Next week, we shoot a 20 page short called Barry…about an unconventional couple named Barry and Justine. It’s a really funny short I wrote that has a large cast and several locations. We will be sending it to film festivals and will have copies avaliable on Blu-Ray.

If you’re available to help on crew next week, contact me. This is on a tight budget so we need people who can work for free food. You’ll also get a Blu-Ray copy and festival invites.

*****

5-5-13

Over a decade ago, I interned at Paramount Pictures with the producer Lynda Obst. We were in production for How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, which was shooting in New York. Lynda was travelling back and forth from LA to NY for most of the summer, and we were back in LA putting together the bible for the movie, which consists of prop lists, contact sheets, a script breakdown, schedule and much more. I remember putting it together with Marc Rosen (Lynda’s nephew) and Elizabeth Hooper who everyone called “Hoops”.  Hoops was very pregnant, about to give birth any day.

My first day on the job, I had to deliver pizza to Lynda at her home, and I remember her assistant telling me if I was late, I would lose my job…the one I travelled all the way from Texas for, which paid nothing except for the learning experience. I was terrified. Not being very good with maps, and this was before GPS, I had a thick Thomas Guide in my car to follow.

I went to Mulberry Street Pizzeria and picked up a NY style pizza, which by the way is absolutely incredible, and then I made my way through the unfamiliar street of Beverly Hills, looking for her street. A few wrong turns later, I was panicked, calling her assistant for directions, the unhelpful Thomas Guide forgotten on the floor of my car. The assistant helped me get there, and I made it right on time. Her son opened the door, thanked me, and I went back to Paramount, job safe for now.
Most of the summer was spent without Lynda, who was NY on production and without Hoops, who was at home with her newborn baby. We held down the LA office and talked to all the famous names calling for Lynda. It was exciting to have a rolodex filled with numbers for Steven Spielberg and George Lucas just to name a few.  I got to spend a good deal of time getting to know her son who would come and hang out with us at the studios. I also got an inside peek at several scripts in production. I loved reading the films before they were made.  It was the summer the Lakers won a championship and people rioted in the streets of LA, starting fires in celebration.

Once the internship ended, I headed back to Texas. Later I would learn that Lynda’s assistant, a sweet African American girl, got fired at the end of the summer to everyone’s shock. The other woman who worked with Hoops and Lynda left a few months later to become a Yoga instructor. At the end of my internship, I sent a bouquet of flowers as a thank you for the experience. They sent me back an array of candles with messages and lucky rocks stuffed inside the wax. I still have the Thankfulness, Home, Healing, Courage, and Wisdom candle.

The lessons I learned with Lynda Obst are still with me. When you are in preproduction for a feature, never rush through it. The time spent in pre-production will save you money and lots of headache through the rest of the stages of production and post. Linda is a petite woman with a reputation of being tough as nails. She never took crap from anyone, and with her at the helm, stuff got done.

Ever since I was thirteen, I knew I wanted to live and work in Los Angeles, and after the experience with Lynda Obst, I was more certain than ever. The next year, Brad and I made the move to Hollywood together, and we are still here.  Now in preproduction for our own feature, Sandy Beach, I am avoiding the temptation to rush into production, knowing that the time I spent in preproduction will save us stress and money in the end.

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5-3-13

I’ve been reading through the notes I received for Sandy Beach from the screenwriter I consulted, and I am currently rewriting it. He gave me some wonderful tips on how to make the story even more captivating than it is already. He really enjoyed the story and said it was one of the best screenplays he has been asked to critique. I have it out to another writer as well for more feedback. I love writing about these characters!

The beach house in Ventura is still on my radar, but I’m checking out other places as well. I’m hoping to find a good deal. If anyone knows of someone with a beach house who wants to rent it to us for a month for a good price, contact me.

This week I edited together the footage from our family vacation in San Diego. I will be posting it soon as an example of a service we offer. Our editing suite is suburb. We have a blu-ray burner, so you can have your own vacation, birthday party, graduation, etc. on blu-ray and posted online. It’s a really fun video. Check it out!

4-20-13

We went on vacation this week. It was a spur of the moment decision. We decided since we have so much going on, if we don’t do it now it will never happen. I find it amazing how a few days away can stimulate the mind. It’s probably more complicated than that, but either way, it has stimulated a great deal of new ideas and lots of creativity has been flowing, and I appreciate it. If only we could go on vacation more often. It is so good for productivity. How many ideas are languishing because people are deprived of a proper vacation and never come up with the idea? It makes you wonder.

Anyways, good news on the Sandy Beach front. We have the story completely locked down and have moved on to minor tweaks. I still have the location to lock down, the budget to obtain, and lots of prep to do, but I can move forward to scheduling and completing the final budget.

Here is an update to Sandy Beach. Daniel, who lost his wife to cancer two years ago, is trying to move on. He is having a difficult time doing this since his deceased wife, Mira, was his soul mate. He still sees her and talks to her in his head. His life has become nothing short of living like a hermit on the beach in a fantasy world with the memory of his late wife. Suicide has become a near obsession for him, and he realizes he will never be happy until he is reunited with Mira.

His daughter Charlotte suddenly loses her college job, and it’s an awakening for her. She visits her dad for a vacation at the beach. When she realizes how depressed her father has been, she tries to cheer him up. Her worry pushes him to start dating again. His first date turns out to be a comedy of errors and Daniel realizes it will probably take some time before he meets someone special.

Charlotte falls for the boy who lives a few doors down, Brian, who works for Daniel from time to time. His laid back attitude towards life changes her perspective. Brian is so different, and the way he sees the world opens her eyes. She realizes letting go is the only way she will ever be happy.

When Daniel meets Brian’s close surfing buddy Zach, he is stunned by his reaction to the young man. He is captivated by someone he never expected would be of interest to him. Daniel resists his attraction to Zach after he realizes the horrific events Zach has endured through his childhood.

Zach’s friend Derrick oversteps his bounds with Zach in a life changing way that leaves everyone spinning. Daniel steps up to take care of Zach as if he was his own son.

Sandy Beach is a story about a man moving on in life, embracing change, living in the moment, and deciding to live again. It is a wonderful story about finding your purpose in life.

4-12-13

A short film I shot a few months ago is being finished up. It was a one man crew. Me. Completely shot by me and starring me. I did the film using a tripod for the steady shots and a shoulder mount for all the steady-cam shots that look really cool. It’s awesome to see these shots and think no one but me was there. It is amazing what you can shoot now and days with the right equipment. It’s called Mind Trip and will be premiering by next week.

We have news on the reality show front. A pitch reel I’ve been working on for some time will be shaping up this next month. We hope to pitch it to production companies soon.

Also, we’ve set up another viewing for a home that interests me in Ventura. This one is a little smaller but with a much bigger deck and large kitchen. Also, we get the place for an entire month at the same price as the last place’s offer of just two weeks. It’s a great deal which will mean this year we spend the entire month of December at the beach shooting a movie and spending Christmas with the boys.

I’m really excited about Sandy Beach. I love this story so much!

It is a love story about Daniel who lost his wife to cancer two years ago and is trying to move on. He is having a difficult time doing this since his deceased wife, Mira, was his soul mate. He still sees her and talks to her in his head. His life has become nothing short of living like a hermit on the beach in a fantasy world with the memory of his late wife.

His daughter Charlotte loses her college job, and it’s an awakening for her. She visits her dad for two weeks for a vacation at the beach. When she realizes how depressed her father has been, she tries to cheer him up. Her worry pushes him to start dating again.

Charlotte falls for the boy next door, Brian, who works for Daniel from time to time. His laid back attitude towards life changes her perspective, and she realizes letting go is the only way she will ever be able to enjoy life.

When Daniel meets Brian’s close surfing buddy Zach, he is stunned by his reaction to the young man. It was the same magic he felt when he met Mira the first time, an instant attraction for someone he never expected would be of interest to him. If Daniel is to be authentic to what he feels, he knows his future is with Zach.

Charlotte feels like she no longer knows her father, and Zach’s friend Derrick has a horrible reaction to the news that Zach is dating a man old enough to be his father. One that leaves everyone spinning.

Sandy Beach is a story about a man moving on in life, embracing change, living in the moment, and falling in love again.

*****

4-04-13

This week we introduced the actors showcase, a service providing made to order reels. As an actress myself, I see how this is a highly beneficial package for other actors.  We know our strengths as actors and which parts we enjoy playing the most. As a writer, I’m excited to write scenes for other actors based on characters they want to play.

Tomorrow, we head to Ventura to check out locations for the feature Sandy Beach. We also make a trip there on Tuesday to see another beach house that looks similar to the one I envision in my head. I’m really excited about shooting this film! I am creating a schedule now. I would need at least 10 days the beach house for the shoot if we have two cameras. We could shoot 10 pages a day if not more. The script is less than 100 pages and not all of it happens at the beach house but most of it does. I will be checking out hotels as well. I would like all the cast and crew to stay nearby so they do not have to worry about driving out there everyday for the shoot. If we can just go the 10 days straight all staying on location that will be a big help for time management and focus for the actors. Sandy Beach is big on dialogue scenes and I will need exceptional actors who can deliver a natural performance.

We also will need a life guard team for one of the days when some of the actors will be in the water. It doesn’t happen too often in the script, but when it does, I want to take every precaution when it comes to the safety of my cast.

Once the budget is worked out, I will do a kickstarter. We are going to need some money to make this happen, and I hope I can count on all of you to donate. I can really see the film in my mind and being able to envision it happening is extremely exciting for me! I’m also excited to share i with all of you!

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4-02-13

Treats has been entered into two festivals so far, Outfest LA and Hollywood Independent Film Fest. As soon as I hear back from the festivals, I will let you guys know.

I’ve been designing my website for a while now. It’s not an easy task to learn dreamweaver, but I would rather do learn it myself than hire someone. First, there is the savings of doing it all myself. Second, I like being in control and knowing I can change things at a press of a button. Third, now that I know what I’m doing, I can design any website I want for future films, books, etc. The drawback is the time it takes, but I feel it’s worth it. I like clean and simple web designs personally, so it just makes sense to design it on my own.

My love story feature called Sandy Beach is moving forward. This is something I can shoot myself mostly at a beach house. Part of the story is somewhat taboo, but it is all based on love. I feel like this is something I need to do, and I can’t wait to shoot it. My next step is to work out a shooting schedule, so I can be as accurate as possible with my budget estimates. As of now, I anticipate spending 10-14 days at a beach house working atleast 12 hour days to get everything shot. I want it to be a two camera shoot. I would love to go with the Scarlet or Epic but if I can’t make the budget for that, I will settle for the Canon 7D, and get a 2nd one. Brad and I will both be behind the cameras. With a two camera shoot, you get a lot more footage. We did that for My Confession years ago and it really helped cut down production time. It’s just the smart thing to do.

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