BEEN A WHILE...

I have been drowned in work, between working for Blendtec, finishing up The Last Eagle Scout and taking on a few other things, I haven't had time to sit and think... which is what I usually do before writing a blog.

First, I have finally accepted the fact that The Last Eagle Scout will not officially be released in September. Still more to do and the time will not allow it. That's what happens when you produce things on such a tight budget.

Second, I have finally gone to see the film RUSH: BEHIND THE LIGHTED STAGE. I have gained a new perspective of one of the hardest working bands I have ever known. The same 3 guys for the past 30+ years and still making albums with the highest level of musical excellence and not selling out. It was also amazing to see all the bands that were inspired by Rush. The whole story focused on this band that focused more on music and not on what happens after the concert. It made me look at my work as a filmmaker and see where I can improve and strive for a little more excellence.

Third, my mother has successfully gone thought the chemotherapy to help get rid of the cancer she had. She is obviously on the watch-list, but that evil chemo is past us for now. In the meantime, my father bought another home. This time, a summer home in the mountains of Pine Valley, Utah. Didn't know where the heck that was when they told me. It's so they can get out of the heat in Vegas and not drive too far (about 2 hours away). I guess as siblings we will part-own the house. Stephanie and I have not seen the house yet, Parke, Forrest and us will be going down for Father's Day to see it for the first time.

Distribution... I am having that dilemma as to how to release this film. (I am already looking at the next project, so I am thinking ahead). I can't publicly say what exactly I am planning (my producer Danna doesn't even know). But I am going to look into as many options so as to stay away from the DVD moratorium as long as possible. Don't mind a DVD release, but it can't be dead on arrival. It needs to have some life. Will get back with ya....

Finally got new carpet in the house and tile. Looks like a different house. Steph has been such the trooper making the house look great. She went to Pier 1 Imports and (another store, I can't remember the name) and bought me a bunch of film related art work for the walls. Things like a couple of old film reels, big sized tickets, popcorn boxes and other paintings with film "stuff" on it. It looks great and I love that she celebrates my profession. I hope to do the same for her.

Later this summer is a trip to South Padre Island (for my 25th high school reunion, can you believe it) and scout camp. And lot's of Orem Owlz baseball.

NEW LAST EAGLE SCOUT AD

Around June 1, Utah County begins the Freedom Festival, which is one of the most patriotic events you will ever see in the US. It is a series of events that happen that lead up to the 4th of July.

They have a beautiful magazine that comes out around the same time with all the events listed. I bought a full page ad to advertise The Last Eagle Scout film. I might get crap for it, don't know. I tested the ad on Facebook and besides some technical things, people overall liked it.

Getting close to done. Just finished a scene with Richard Hatch from Battlestar Galactica, which was awesome. He played a role I was saving for someone important, the scout leader during Cliff's Board of Review. Otherwise, pretty much most everything is in the can.

MEETING MARGO KIDDER

As a kid, one of my favorite films was "Superman: The Movie" in 1978. I was 11 and I still remember going to the Plitt Cinemas in Harlingen, Texas excited for the films release. It was toward the end of what I felt was the grand days of the movie theater, where a new film opening was an event and people stood in a line around the building to get a taste of Hollywood's latest.

In those days, there wasn't the answer of "I'll just wait for it to come to video". You saw it in the theater, or cross your fingers as seeing it edited for television. Otherwise, you missed it! And I remember "Superman" having an overture at the beginning and an intermission in the middle, just like the old days.

I think I saw "Superman" 11 times in the theater. I remember going over to the music store and seeing the big glossy double album of the Superman soundtrack lined up, costing a whopping 9 dollars. It would have been the closest thing I could see in having "Superman" in my home.

For years I kept the nice Superman ring they sold at the theater as well as the Superman pin. I actually still have the pin to this day. I also still have my Superman lunchbox from the film. It holds my Superman collector cards.

So now you could understand my excitement when I heard that Margot Kidder (Lois Lane in Superman) was going to be acting in a film at BYU. I guess Brigham Young has some new program where films are produced through an outside source to allow students to have a more "real world" experience with film making, something I wish we would have had when I was there 20 years ago. Somehow, they were able to get Margo to come play a role in a film I think is called "Robbing the Dead".

Ann Ross, a friend of Stephanie and I, told me about it and got me to come on set for a short while. I wish I could have spent more time there, I literally only got 5 minutes with her. But she was very sweet and obviously not prone to the "leave me alone, I'm Margo Kidder" syndrome. But she did seem older then she really was. I don't know if she had some stress or smoking or what, but I looked up that she is only 61, but looks like she is 71.

She was impressed with the BYU facility. Interestingly, after I left, I remembered the old film in 1977 produced by The Church right there in the same location called "The Phone Call" which starred Marc McClure, who was also Jimmy Olsen in the same Superman series.

I can check that off of people I hoped to meet before they pass on. Now on to William Shatner.

RUSH!!! Yes... I'm a nerd.

So I find out that RUSH is coming to Salt Lake City on a "Time Machine" tour. Usually RUSH doesn't tour unless they have a new album. But for some reason, someone convinced Neil (the drummer) to keep going (they've got to be pushing 60). Either way, I found that out and sent a text to my wife stating that "there is a God". (I already knew that, but figured it fit the situation.)

I was just wondering lately if they would come out with a new album so we could see them. But the process would go like this: I would read a little blog about Neil, Getty and Alex deciding they might record new material, thus a new album. That would be a few months. Then, they would go in and record... there's another few month, maybe 6. Then, they would start the promotion of a new album... another 6 months. Then, the album would be released and they would announce their tour, but Salt Lake would be toward the latter half of the tour. So I would go ahead and buy tickets... 6 months in advance.

Get the picture? I will have waited 2-3 years from the time Neil thinks of new material till I actually get to see them. I guess that is the price you pay for greatness. They used to come out with a new album almost every year. But I am sure age and popularity have allowed RUSH to "take their time" as well as keep the quality of the music up to the level they always demand.

I have a personal connection with Neil Peart. I don't know him personally, wish I would. But in October of 2005, I was getting divorced... a second time. It was probably the lowest point in my life. I won't go into the details, but I had lost a lot, in material goods, time with my kids and my sanity. I sadly left my wife at the time from Dallas, where I was living, back to Virginia. I would then turn right back around and drive all the way back to Utah.

While I drove back to Virginia with my tail between my legs, I had just bought a book written by Neil Peart called "Ghost Writer". Since Neil writes every lyric for Rush, his writing is usually fairly incredible. The book was an account of his loss in life, and the 14 month motorcycle ride he took to heal himself. In the matter of six months, Peart lost his wife to cancer and his daughter, his only child, in a car wreck.

I remember reading, while I took my short and painful, but thoughtful, drive across the US, feeling some similarity to what he was going through. Obviously, not near his loss, but a loss none the less. I especially felt a kinship when, in his book, he recalled watching television aimlessly while taking care of the paperwork of his family's recent death (going by memory here). He watched a PBS documentary on the Mormon Pioneer Wagon Train west (this was in 1997). While watching, he remembered the lessons learned on the trail that some die and some live, and it was not up to us to decide. Not sure what exactly he got out of the documentary, but it somehow turned his mind to get on his motorcycle and drive all across Canada and the US over a 14 month period.

Ironically, at that same time, I was working on the Mormon Trail Wagon Train as they re-enacted the 1847 trail Brigham Young took, celebrating the 150 year anniversary, and producing a documentary on the event. Who's to not think that he was actually watching some my work. Who knows.

I know that Peart can sometimes seem to have an agnostic view toward life around him. I am not so sure what his true beliefs are, and in a way, I prefer to keep it like that. But I do respect him as possibly the most accomplished drummer in the world and a wonderful human being.

One dream before I leave this life is to meet the man. I know that sounds silly, but I gotta have my dreams.

WILL IT BLEND iPAD - NUMBER 1 VIDEO ON YOUTUBE TODAY!

It isn't even that great of a video, but the marketing and curiosity killed this cat known as the iPad. It has been a while that we have had a hit like this. Usually, when a new Apple product comes out, we blend it and get a ton of views on YouTube (iPod now at 5.7 million, iPhone at 8 million and the iPhone 3G at 4.3 million views). As a whole, we are now at 200 million views.

I have to admit, I didn't think it would generate this kind of showing. But Ray proved me wrong. Will It Blend is basically George (marketing) Ray (web guy) and me (video producer). Ironically, George left the company last week to go work for an organization that produces Barbecue grills, Ray gave his two weeks notice yesterday (to go work for George) and I am still here. Many other changes are happening at Blendtec, but I am personally not worried.

In fact, this Will It Blend could be our last. I'm hoping. We are working on a new series that will be more on the "selling" side of the blenders. So it would be great to go out of Will It Blend with a bang.

Ray and I started a new separate series (that is also already over, since Ray left, the jerk) called Inside Blendtec. It is just some silly and fun behind the scenes of what we do at Blendtec. We did one on us buying the iPad. Pretty funny.

At this point of this writing, the new WILL IT BLEND iPad has reached 1.3 million views after only 24 hours on line and is the number one video on YouTube today. Kind of cool.

WILL IT BLEND - iPAD

OK, ok, ok... yes we had to do it!

Ray and I stood in line for a few hours on Saturday morning (that was a hard wake up) and purchase an iPad... just so we could blend it. It turned into a media circus. We stood in line with over a hundred other people, many of whom looked like it was one of the few times they stepped out of their mothers basement (in between levels).

But there were a few responsible people there. We were there because we were paid to be. It was actually pretty fun. Ray, who doesn't own an apple product and won't, acted like he was part of the gang. It's only because 5 minutes before opening, there were about 40 Mac employees at the Salt Lake store who ran around the building clapping, cheering, acting excited (a little better then the employees who "act" like they get excited at a Monday morning Walmart employee meeting... er, I mean, "team member" meeting).

We just played along, and Ray gave hugs to employees as if his life just changed for the better. Like, his life can go on, now that he has an iPad (that he is going to destroy later that day.) In the midst of that, he went on the be on the front page of the Local section of the Salt Lake Tribune. I also was interviewed on the Deseret News and this morning on Salt Lake's country station K-BULL and it was pretty funny.

So does the iPad blend? You will have to see and find out.

MAN, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

It's not like I have anything to do. Trying to finish up this film is a challenge, but I am having a great time. Usually, by now, when doing a feature, I will be sick of a film. But this time is different. I guess since I pretty much have all creative control and so many more tools to use than I did before.

I just finished a scene with Johnny Biscuit (he looks WAY better than me in this photo). He plays a talk show host who spews negative things about the scouts in a time of fury. I will be filming others, mocking talks shows and comedy shows, showing how a piece of bad press can spew the negativity of public opinion to the point where someone is guilty before even having their day in court. Part of the theme of The Last Eagle Scout.

The film is starting to grow in popularity (which means I better make a good film, all eyes are watching). I have a Facebook page and a few fans. And I get some hate mail already. There is even an anti-Last Eagle Scout page, if you can believe that. So I must be doing the right thing. I don't let it get to me.

Stephanie and I are working day and night right now. I still have my day job, Steph is trying to finish a new children's book, and I am editing and throwing in new shots as I see them. Luckily I got my own camera now, so I can make that happen. Much has been happening and I can tell life might be changing for me in the next 9 months. Not sure. But I can't talk too much.

Also been going to the gym. Been steady for about 6 weeks now. I am starting to lose my gut I got after being remarried 3 years ago (that's right, blame it on the marriage). I go with Parke every morning at 5:30 (that's the hardest part) to run and lift weights. My saggy boobs I was starting to get are now starting to not be so saggy (say that 10 times real fast).

We've been very blessed. And as things are happening, I continue to see others struggle. It hurts because I know, I have been there. I wish I could bring millions of dollars of work to Utah to keep all my friends afloat. One friend in particular is losing her house. That is hard.

There doesn't seem to be one great answer, but what I can do is help people with optimism. I give what I can with work and goods, but in the end, each person needs to take their own risks. Plus put more faith in the Lord for their needs.