Clearly, I haven’t posted for a while. Life is busy and my professional life has changed a lot. I’m now the Managing Editor of Film Threat. Basically, I’m in charge of all the posted content on the Film Threat website. You have no idea how much time this has consumed in my life. I’m thinking now, I shouldn’t even be doing this right now.
I’m hoping to post more and I’m also going to move my old reviews to this site and you’ll see why early next year.
In the meantime, visit Film Threat, subscribe to the Film Threat Podcast and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
I just got done with seven interviews with filmmakers at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. I had a blast. This is what I like to do. I love talking to people about what their passions are. I love to have real conversations about how people get things done. I love learning something new from anybody. Check back. I will be posting these interviews on my YouTube channel and playing them on the Geek Lab show.
Thanks for everyone who listened to, took part and subscribed to the Five Things That Change Your Life Podcast. Loren and I are pleased to pull another season together. This season we talk with:
M*A*S*H casting director Sam Christiansen
Founders of the Gentile Barn, an animal rescue in Santa Clarita Ellie Laks and Jay Weiner
Whose Line is it Anyway writer/performer Ron West
Creator of America’s Funniest Home Videos Vin DiBona
As you know, I’m currently producing a sketch comedy show for local television called The Real Rejects of Orange County. Here’s a valuable lesson I learned about the editing process. If you want to have your video edited cheap, do it yourself. If you want to have it done fast, pay someone to do it.
I’m currently in the process of learning Premiere Pro. I’ve dabbled with it for a few year, but this is the first time I am learning it with the intent of producing something professional. Editing requires patience, endurance and the ability to fight the urge to end a project before it is done, only because you’ve seen the same thing a hundred time.
Well folks, being a writer and comedian does not pay all the bills. A new opportunity has been placed before me. It utilizes the skills that I learned long ago at the credit union. It requires me to learn two data applications: XOJO and Filemaker Pro.
I tried the demo to both and my thoughts are XOJO is Visual Basic and Filemaker Pro is Access. So the learning curve for both programs is good. I’m documenting my journey learning both software packages.
I am learning XOJO first. Why? Because it is harder to learn and less expensive to implement. This is my first taste of XOJO.
If my life is not busy enough, I just gave birth to a new podcast called “FIVE Things That Changed Your Life.” I serve as the podcast’s producer and occasional voice in the background. My friend, Loren Kling, serves as the host and he talks to people about the FIVE Things That Changed Their Lives. It is currently available on iTunes and Google Play. We should be on Stitcher any day now.
The first episode is available now and features Film Expert and TV Host, Chris Gore.
As noted in the last post, I’m producing a comedy sketch show. My writing partner and I are looking for someone who wants to sharpen his/her (preferably her) comedy writing skills and experience the fun of collaborative comedy writing.
Unfortunately I have no budget for this show. We’re shooting this like independent filmmakers. While there is no pay, writers will get valuable experience, see something you wrote produced and possible IMDB credits.
I’m looking for someone who lives in the OC, can attend weekly writers meetings and devote a few hours each week to write. There’s also potential to be on camera as well. Here’s the formal job listing:
SKETCH COMEDY WRITER NEEDED!
Comedy writers needed for a new low budget Orange County-based sketch comedy television show. There is no pay. It is a great opportunity for a budding candidate to gain writing experience in a collaborative writing environment. Candidates must be available to attend weekly writers meeting for the next 8 weeks in Orange County and devote a few hours writing outside of the meeting.
The show is a 30-minute sketch comedy show broadcasting throughout Southern California. It is also low budget and shot using guerilla filmmaking techniques. Writers from all backgrounds welcome to apply. We are looking especially for female writers and writers who speak both English and Spanish. To apply, follow the link below and complete the form. Then send your resume and script samples or links to comedy videos you wrote.
You’ve got to jump on opportunities whenever you can and I’ve been presented with a big opportunity. While I can’t go into the details, I’m excited to be able to produce a new sketch comedy television show. That’s right a 30-minute sketch comedy show.
The call is going to go out soon for writers. In June, I’ll be looking for actors. Are you a comedy writer and live in Orange County? Consider submitting a packet. Here’s a link with information.
In 2015, I was privileged to act as producer for a staged game show called “The Best 3 Questions Ever.” The idea came from my producing partner, Loren Kling. The premise is can you create a game show based on the popular card game, “Cards Against Humanity.” Not having the rights to the game and thinking that no upcoming celebrity will play the game, the idea evolved into this fun game.
The concept is simple. Can three comedians figure out how a complete stranger will answer the 3 Best Questions Ever?
The game show is played on the lived stage. We performed at The Virgil in Los Angeles, Stages in Fullerton and the fanaticSalon in Culver City.
Before the show, we selected two audience members and I asked them to answer 10 simple questions, like “what did your mother do for a living?”
At the start of the show Loren and I would banter a little and then we introduce our three comedians. Next the first audience volunteer enters and Loren interviews them for about 5 minutes. After the interview, we ask the comedians and the audience to secretly write down on a piece of paper what they think the volunteer’s answer is. As an added bonus, we asked the audience to tweet us what they think the answer is and I included it in the responses.
While I’m preparing the responses, Loren asks our comedians how they would answer the question. Then I reveal the answers on a whiteboard and the comedians and audiences guesses the right answer. if any of the comedians get it right, they get a 5-second plug. We repeat the game for the next guest.
The game appeared to be successful for our actual audiences. Our main problem was finding an audience. We had some fantastic venues that allowed us to test the show, but it just never took off. For Loren and I, it was our first shot at producing the show and we took the knowledge from this experience and applying it to our new podcast, The Five Most Important Things.
Managing Editor of Film Threat. Writer, Professional Comedian and Producer
