Week in Review - End of April

This week was a busy week!

On Monday, I woke up at 4:30 AM to drive to D.C. I didn't have to be in the city until 9 AM but traffic on the beltway can be horrendous. It's a good thing I left when I did because it started slowing up after Fredricksburg and I didn't arrive until 8:30!
Long drives give me time to catch up on my podcasts. Filmspotting reigns supreme on my ipod but The Skeptics Guide to the Universe and The Creative Screenwriting podcasts are also staples. On the drive up, I listened to two Creative Screenwriting podcasts. The first was an interview with the writer of Eastern Promises, Stephen Knight and the second was with the writer of Rachel Getting Married, Jenny Lumet. Both are great writers and they gave great insights into the screenwriting process. They talked about their research and writing styles, whether they outline or let it flow, and what they do when they get writers block. When I got home, I immediately downloaded 20 or so podcasts with other writers.
I arrived around 8:30 and found a close parking spot. It was two hours max parking but with the office so close, I could easily add more when needed. Some parking meters now accept credit cards! What a country!
I got a job doing production work for The National Review. No pay but I'm making some great contacts and it keeps me busy doing what I love. Me and another PA are working for a guy named Will Cain who is doing a series of post-article interviews with National Review writers which are posted on their website.
After we wrapped, I drove out to Alexandria to meet with my documentary subject. It wasn't too formal and didn't last long but it was important to finally meet and voice some ideas. Hopefully we can start filming soon so I can start putting this film together.
After that I met up with Ben Giles and saw State of Play. It was great a second time.

This week was a busy week with Studio Center. I had paid gigs Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. At 150 bucks a day, I'm starting to rake it in. I found out that they don't pay out for 60 days! It sucks when you have uses for the money but it also keeps you from spending it right away.
I had a talk with Heather, the producer who brought me on as an intern in January, about keeping me on but paid. She said we would take it week by week which is fine with me. Even if its only one day a week it keeps some money in my pocket and plenty of free time to learn the software I am getting.
On Thursday, they had me on as a grip on a shoot for ABNB Credit Union. I spent much of the afternoon with the talent for the commercial, Myra Obendorf. Myra is the former Mayor of Virginia Beach. She was voted out this election cycle but she held the office for over 20 years.
I did a short news feature for a class on the abuse she took from Bill O'reilly when two girls were killed by a drunk driver. The driver who killed them happened to be an illegal immigrant. Mr. O'reilly called for her resignation because Mrs. Obendorf didn't have him deported on a previous arrest.
Back to Myra. She was wonderful! It was so refreshing to meet an older person with such a great outlook on life. I have met other adults with whom I have seen eye-to-eye but never one in public office. Then again, my personal interactions with elected officials are few and far between. Evidently, there are good people who seek office though.
This week has been a good one. Busy but good. I hope my work with Studio Center continues with this amount of frequency. It's great experience and I get to meet alot of people in the industry.

My first documentary shoot

I got the call today. My first documentary shoot will not be starting this Saturday. After checking out gear and getting a small crew together, Vital called and said he will not be doing a full set at the SOJA show. He is just going to be a surprise guest during the SOJA set and John Brown's Body will be opening instead.

While it sucks there will be no filming, I still have a meeting with Vital before the show to discuss general thoughts about the film. I am glad that he wants to collaborate on this project rather than me just coming up with everything.

Also, the crew I was going to use for this Saturday will be available for the early part of the summer. Having four people, willing to help, is just as important as having gear to use.

Hopefully this meeting will bear alot of fruit and many great ideas will be developed. I need to make it clear to Vital that covering him at shows and in the studio is not enough to draw people in. I need drama. Whether it's really candid (weeping) interviews with the artist, or some event, we need to find a way to get the audience in the tent. As talented as Vital is, he doesnt have the recognition yet to gain publicity for the film.

I will write again after Saturday to update this blog on where the documentary is going.




Taylor Roesch

Francis Collins - A Cutlery Wizard with Occam's Razor

Interning in Virginia Beach twice a week requires a bit of a drive from my hometown of Williamsburg. The hour there and hour back are frequently interrupted by Hampton Roads' own bridge-and-tunnel crowd to make the drive that much more unpleasant. People close to me know that I enjoy driving. While this may be true, keeping my mind occupied is the only way to frequently do the same drive over and over again.
Today I started to listen to Francis Collins' book The Language of God in audiobook format. Francis Collins was the well-known head of the Human Genome Project but he is also a God-fearing/loving Christian. This book's subtitle, "A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief" sums up well what this book is trying to do.
After the first third of the book completed, I can understand why Dr. Collins comes to the conclusions he does. By using Occam's Razor, Dr. Collins cuts down the ideas that make the least sense to him as a scientist and as a human being. What's so biting about his commentary is that Occam's Razor has to my knowledge been used mostly to rule out a theistic view of the world. He has taken this scientific intellectual tool and made it a double-edged sword.
But there are some major problems with the ideas Dr. Collins puts forth. The way Dr. Collins argues his points, I would be inclined to agree. Through properly formulated assertions, I am easily convinced of nearly anything. But something is missing from Dr. Collins book so far. Proof. He substitutes his ideas of "what sounds most likely" for corroboration through evidence. "Claims asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence," is a phrase I use to test claims such as these. Evidence can normally point you in the right direction.
I will hold final judgment until I am finished with the book but its prospects of personal persuasion look bleak right now.

Bull Durham

I came home the other night to find my stepbrother asleep with the TV on and the beginning of Bull Durham playing out. I had never seen this baseball movie and knew it was about time. So I fought back sleep and watched the movie.
I think bad ass aptly sums it up. Bull Durham makes it clear that men can make a living and still never grow up. This is mostly a kids movie for balding 40-year-olds.
Tim Robbins plays Nuke, the character that progresses most throughout the film with the help of the team catcher, Crash (Kevin Costner) and a local lady, Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon). Nuke is a new pitcher who just joined the roster for the Durham Bulls. The Bulls are one step below the major leagues or "The Show" as it is nick-named. Crash takes the new pitcher under his wing to try and hone in his strong arm. Annie does much of the same off the diamond and in the bedroom. Between the two of them, they teach him the rituals, superstitions, and mannerisms of professional baseball.
I understand why my dad has pushed me to watch this movie since I was 7. The words of wisdom my father has bestowed on me since I had comprehension are, "You're only young once but you can be immature for the rest of your life." It all comes together now. Baseball is his childhood relived. That is the attitude around the game. Men can be boys.
I was skeptical when I heard Bull Durham was voted best baseball film of all time. I figured it would be a more epic portrayal of the game like Field of Dreams. But the heart and soul of this film best represents baseball on and off the field.

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

Playing at the Kimball Theatre this week is Harvard Beats Yale 29-29. This documentary tells the story of an infamous November 1968 matchup between the two schools’ football teams. Through interviews and an old copy of the game, filmmaker Kevin Rafferty lets the players tell what they went through on the field as well as off the field.

Rafferty was able to interview most of the players on both the Harvard and Yale teams. He interviewed the stars, key players, and Tommy Lee Jones; who played on the Harvard squad that year. Also on the Crimson squad was George Bush’s roommate while he was at Harvard. These interviews give you an insight into familiar characters as well as the players who made this game such a memorable one.

The simplicity of this film is noticeable right away. As shown in the credits, Kevin Rafferty directed, produced, filmed, and edited the film by himself. While there aren’t any graphics or sound effects, the film doesn’t require any. Rafferty lets the material stand by itself. Giving us this film with no frills tells the audience the director is confident with his material and he thinks the story is strong enough naked.

Although this film’s outcome it apparent upon seeing the trailer, it doesn’t detract from the tension. You saw this recently in Slumdog Millionaire. In the end, Harvard and Yale end up tied at 29. This detail helps build suspense because with 42 seconds left, the game wasn’t close. While the director drags out those 42 seconds, you are thinking, “No this is impossible!” As the seconds count off, the tension grows wondering how they are going to do it. I won’t spoil it but the score ends up 29-29.

Also in the film was Dr. George Bass, an Associate professor of Education at William and Mary played left tackle for Yale at the time. Even though he was injured early in the game, Bass remembers the experience fondly and thought the film was a great representation of what happened that day. Since he was on crutches the coach told him to head towards the locker room with only a minute left and Yale up by 16. By the time he had made it to the other end zone, Harvard had scored and recovered their onside kick. He remembers being dumbfounded that they did not win. But like other players on the Yale squad, he knows the game would not be remembered today if it had not ended in a tie.

Taylor Roesch