D.L. Warner's Blog: The Perilous and Profane, page 10

Directing Debut, Naughty Firemen and Adapting Genius

May arrived in such a lovely way. The weather at this end of town has been truly wonderful. It's pleasantly warms with a crisp cool breeze and the colors of the flowers and trees are vibrant and brilliant. The jacaranda trees are beginning to bloom. Even the most mundane errands are a pleasure as it is deeply pleasing just to be out of doors. Of course, all of my work keeps me in my small, often dark apartment looking at glowing screens. I suppose I could take the writing and manga script editing outside. But we have a concrete courtyard with a pool that's too big for the area. There is almost no where to sit where I wouldn't be in someone's way. How I miss the days in Playa del Rey. We had a balcony there where there were pretty trees to look at along with the daily death match between a psychotic squirrel and a chubby gray tabby. I kept a high powered water canon on hand to defend the cat. The tabby's owner was a very attractive fireman who firmly believed pants and under shorts and blinds were optional inside his apartment. Come to think of it, I never got much done on that balcony. Never-mind. Where was I?
Stand Aside Avengers
Not hardly, as we said back in the day. My little production is just over five minutes sans special FX or Thor's hammer. Without further ado, here it is! It was the first time I used this serious film editing program. And I've never manually synced dialog or corrected color. This sounds strange for all the fussing I did about how much work post on this video was, but I got a lot of other work done at the same time. Practical issues like the PC slowing down as the RAM got clogged forced me to walk away while the machine rebooted. Other times, I had to walk away, so I wouldn't throw the PC out the door and into the pool. I kept up the pace of my various writing projects and the manga editing. Despite the flaws that remained (and I can see and hear them all), there came a point where I had to move on and apply the lessons learned to the next effort. Boy, were there ever a lot of lessons to be learned. The great thing is that I am not discouraged in the least. I'm probably delusional. But then again, I have yet to meet a filmmaker who isn't.
Month of Fun
MIB in the alley next to Central City StudiosThe Month of fun is going well despite how much I'm chained to a PC. The trip to the Farmer's Market was again corrupted by a detour to the Culver Hotel Bar. I really do love those Dirty Harry Martinis (made with vodka, olive brine and extra olives)! I also discovered that I like couscous and roasted green olives. I know, it's weird that I have never tried couscous. The odds were fairly good that I would like it. After all, I love hominy grits and polenta. I'm just not brave enough to buy and make something I've never tasted. One, I wouldn't know if I'd made it right. And I may waste the purchase if I don't like it. That was why I was so frustrated about zucchini flowers. I'd never had them and didn't want to risk buying them for myself. The only way that stalemate was broken was how ridiculously cheap they are in season. At this Happy Hour were Marie and one of her long time buds that I've never met. She was every bit of a hoot that Marie described. I chuckled about that conversation for the rest of the week. I also had a treat that helped me get through a very difficult day. I very rarely eat at fast food joints anymore. My reasons are much the same as everyone else's. But there is one item that I can't quite get right making it from scratch. It's the sausage biscuit with egg. Every once in a while, I crave one. And on Friday, I had a three hour commute to pick up something that took all of three minutes to get. Instead of getting back on the bus for the long slog back, I popped into Mickey D's to indulge. One treat that anyone not in the Entertainment Industry would find odd was visiting the updated sets at Central City Studio. It had changed so much that I worried about losing my way in the labyrinth of groovy sets. Check out who's been filming there in the photo above! Of course, I managed not to make it down to meet them. Ah, well. It was a fun visit. Trips to sound stages always fill me with ideas of what to shoot. And it was fun to see the other half of Dragoncor/Earthdraggon productions. For my birthday week, much is afoot! I'm planning all manner of girly things (facial, mani/pedi, etc.). I may even buy shoes! I really hate shopping for shoes, but it's time to embrace pretty things again. I'll also be setting up some firm lunch dates for the rest of the month. And be warned, elusive lunch dates – I now know how to text!
Updates
I seem to be doing a lot of script adaptations of late. The degree of difficulty and success varies wildly depending on the project. It's been frustrating trying to dance in another person's shoes. They are such beautiful shoes that I am thrilled to wear. What is with me and shoes today? I'm nearing the end of one phase of one of these adaptations. I've come to the point that I did with the video. There is a point where I have to send it on, so it can go to the next level. I really hope I've done it justice. We're about to put another manga to bed. We already have a four volume series to replace it. And I think I'll be working with another translator soon. I am anything but bored. There are a whole bunch of pretty boys to focus on in the next couple of weeks.
Stay tuned.

Careful Cuts, Timely Advice and Munchkins

It's always good for a couple to share interests and experiences. Now, I understand why there was so much swearing while Jon edited films. I also remembered why I did not choose to go into the filmmaking track when I was an undergrad. Though part of my problem stemmed from the crude technology of the time. Back in the olden days, editors actually cut film into pieces then taped it together. Even with a short film, there could be hundreds of tiny pieces to put back together before sound could be addressed. I hated that, and I hated directing then. While it's far easier to deal with hundreds of bits of digital film, I still find film editing daunting. This time, I'm manually syncing the dialog (oh, the swearing – from me this time). Jon is mostly helpful. I mean, he has a lot of knowledge to share, but it usually comes out after I've been wrestling with some issue for hours. I'll hear 'why didn't you try such and such?' And I'd answer, 'why didn't you tell me about this twelve hours ago' with a sweet voice and a frozen smile that I think frightened him. Oh, he's fine. And the editing is almost done. I still have to do color correction. The photo above is a still from the video that has not been color corrected. Everything takes a long time, because of having to reboot. It seems that the editing eats up a lot of RAM. After a couple of hours, the program starts to freeze. 'If you're not hogging RAM, you're doing something wrong,' Jon says. It means progress is in fits and starts. Yep, I really understand all that swearing. On the other hand, I can't do more than two hours straight either. Maybe my brain's RAM gets clogged and needs to be re-booting. All I know is that it's been good to have other things to switch off to. I've been doing a lot of multi-tasking. I am learning a great deal about how to edit and how to shoot better. At my current pace, the video should go live this Tuesday. Or Wednesday.
Still Finding FootingThis was an odd and sometimes difficult week. On the one hand, the Month of fun began early. I'll cover that later. I'm a member of a Facebook Appendix Cancer support group. I found them when I started doing research for the documentary. They are an amazing group of people who are living life with as much zeal as their battered bodies will allow. When I am thinking crazy things about my current state of normal, this group sets me straight and keeps me sane. It wasn't a good week for the group. An important member succumbed to the disease. And then, one of the founding members announced that the recurrence of the cancer meant she had to have another surgery. The risks of that surgery are very high in the best case scenario. I will not detail them here. And for this woman whose body has been ravaged internally from previous treatments, the risks are dire. Yet she bravely chose to have another go and is carrying on with fund raising for research and living life with her usual aplomb. I found myself shaken by all of this. Since I'd been declared cancer free, I've been trying to make up for the time I was sick and make the most of my time. Making the most of time meant not just accomplishing as many goals as possible but also not dwelling on things that are not important. In many ways, I am doing these things. But I am a flaky artist at times. I worry about not worrying, or I worry about wasting time or living up to the gift I've been given in getting a second chance on life. Or I worry about pushing too hard. On the day our group founder announced that she would have the surgery, I had been up and online editing the video and the manga and writing a script since very early in the morning. Then, I got an instant message from a longtime caregiver of a PMP patient. All it said was 'it's lunch time, take a break.' I was startled to realize that I was very hungry and very tired. I think I was also sad for my friend and angry that nothing else could be done. It was a well timed bit of advice. I needed a bean burrito, a good cry and a nap. The thing I'd forgotten in recent weeks is I'm supposed to be enjoying each day along with all of those other lofty plans. Things went a lot more smoothly after that.
Martinis in Munchkin Land I love it when I go out with a totally wholesome activity in mind and end up in the middle of something decadent and potentially naughty. I set off to the Culver Farmer'sMarketwith my usual list of items and my lists of items to browse for future purchase. This time, I had long-time bud, Marie Lecrivain with me. Marie is co-editrix of Sybaritic Press with me. She is also the founder and editor of Poetic Diversity, a notable and long running litzine. Marie is a sybarite, like myself. Thus I was not surprised that she managed to find some delightful treats I had overlooked during my many other visits. I knew there was a groovy mushroom booth called LA Funghi. They have truffle oil! And they had something really exotic called truffle salt. I'm waiting for information on what that's like to cook with. Many wholesome things were purchased. Okay, the rum infused, mini bundt cakes weren't exactly wholesome, but they were really yummy! From there, we went to the Culver Hotel  for a beverage. This is a historic hotel that once housed the actors who played the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz and was once owned by John Wayne. Thee were a half dozen pairs of ladies having tea from pretty ceramic pots and lovely treats on tiered trays. I was thinking of having something like that when our server announced that it was nearly happy hour. That meant that the Dirty Harry Martini I'd been eyeing on the menu would be half off. Decision made! We had a long, lovely chat while enjoying impeccable drinks and some delicious treats. The Month of Fun has begun! And I was very tickled that it began with Marie.
UpdatesI will have a bunch next week!
Stay tuned!

Musings on Cow Hooves and Haggis

It wasn't only that I was seriously considering coming home from the multi-ethnic market with a shin bone from a calf (complete with hoof) which made me realize I was becoming a hardcore cook. There were some things I could make with one didn't involve aspic. That day, I wasn't in the mood for such high level, fancy wrangling. And I worried about Jon's reaction upon coming home to a hoof sticking out of a tall pot. It was also that Jon wasn't surprised that I was considering such a purchase. When I wondered why, he told me that I routinely bring home chicken feet (they make awesome stock), and that I've been coming up with viable strategies while watching Chopped . That is true, though I still think I would have reacted well to canned haggis. You know, there is vegetarian Haggis? It's made with beans, mushrooms and oats that's baked in a pan. Jon thinks that is more of a vegetarian scrapple. I found that also. It's called Vrapple. The internet is evil. But I digress.
I've entered a new level with cooking, 'tis true. However, I had fallen out of the kind of extensive meal prep I had been doing prior to chemo. I do cook dinner almost every night, but I have been doing them with less planning than even before I got sick. I used to do a bi-montly mega preps, so we'd have meals with very little thought for an entire two weeks. They would last longer, because inspiration always strikes, and I'll want to try something different from the plan at the spur of the moment. But it was really good to have a nice selection of options in the freezer ready to go. I'd just add a veg or salad or pasta, whatever. It is easier to eat correctly when the foods are handy and easy to prepare. It also leaves me with more free time during any given day. I'd forgotten how soothing doing all that chopping and such can be. My mind is taken out of everything focusing on that.
I needed to do errands and cook, so I can free up that time during a busy upcoming week for post on the videos. I have enough goofy distractions to keep me away from my various difficult tasks without adding legitimate ones. On top of the post editing, I'm proofing the manga pages, working on pilot and there are some other bits of writing I need to get finished sooner than later. Yes, I'm talking about Rik and Vincent. It all sounds like a crazy pace when I look at it here, but somehow things get done and I don't feel panicked over it. And no worries about me overdoing it. My body is really good at demanding rest by going on strike if I push too hard. That's when I get my reading done!
Before I forget again, I must announce that we are only 8 days from the Month of Fun. This day also marks the second anniversary of my MOAS (Mother Of All Surgery), giving me more reasons to celebrate properly. For new readers, the Month of Fun is when yours truly celebrates another year of life by taking the time to appreciate all the things – big and small – that make life special. I spend time with friends I don't usually get to see. I take the time to have that special baked good and lovely coffee I would usually skip during an errand. This year, I could even have a mani/pedi. The black strips on my nails from chemo are finally gone! The Month of Fun is not about spending money. It's about the sage wisdom of Agent Cooper from Twin Peaks. Paraphrased, you should give yourself a present every day. Over the years, I have found a present a day is not possible. But I can do it for 30 days consistently. It can be something big – like being in France. Or something as simple as a 'damned fine cup of coffee.' There are some lovely spots I've discovered since I last lunched with certain friends. I'd love to share them. I may even take in a picture show. I haven't done that in quite a while as I haven't seen anything worth the considerable expense involved in going to the movies lately. However, Dark Shadows comes out on my birthday. That seems to be destiny. That was the first soap I've ever loved. And Barnabas was the first vampire I knew. And there was funk and disco in the trailer ! Even the Avengers is looking appealing. It's woefully lacking in giant robots, but I'll take giant robot dragon snakes. The Japanese trailer is cooler and gets to the point faster. Look at it HERE . What can you do to help me with the Month of Fun? If you are in the LA area, let's have lunch already! Otherwise, I accept well wishes of all kinds (including rain dances).
Meanwhile, I still have chicken stock to make and boxes of things to edit.
Stay tuned.

Shoots, Truths and Finding Footing

Why did I go through this hair-brained scheme and endure such physical stress? There are a number of reasons that don't sound too crazy. The primary reason is that I'm learning to shoot films on my own, so that I don't have to depend on hiring anyone other that production assistants to help me shoot The Secret Cancer. I realized that if I had a cinematographer shoot footage in Los Angeles, I'd have to have the same person travel with me wherever I went. Otherwise, the footage wouldn't have the same look from city to city. I was also getting hung up on even getting started waiting for crew to be available on a consistent basis. Jon was certain that I could easily pick up what I needed to learn. All I would need to do is practice. He suggested I shoot simple things that I could control easily and that I could shoot fairly often.
At that point, I was looking for a clever way to promote my yaoi titles that didn't involve paying for ads. I was also interested in doing video responses to recipes by my favorite Youtube chefs. I could shoot cooking videos easily. I've been doing those since the fall of last year. It's been neat to have a video dialogue with some talented chefs that I admire. I've also found an innovative way of promoting some of my titles. The foods that appear in manga and anime are real Japanese dishes. Cooking and eating are often central to character relationships. Everyone who has read my work knows that food plays a big part of character interaction. It was a natural to have a food based video promotion. The first videos for Cook Like a Uke (oo-kay) featured my hands and a voice over announcer. And they aren't doing badly as far as number of views goes. I've even made some book sales from what is a very modest effort is a thrill. But yaoi readers like pretty men. There were calls for actual ukes cooking food.
I'm a filmmaker in Los Angeles which is not lacking in pretty men looking to act. I realized I could move my film school training to the next level with actors in front of the camera to light and frame properly. I could not only promote my own titles, but I could also promote manga I edited for the Digital Manga Guild. It happens that a meal cooked in gratitude moved the main relationship in the book toward romance.

As I said a blog or two ago, I did a casting breakdown and signed a four actor pool. I knew that I could probably only handle shooting one or two segments at a clip. I'm hoping to do a few shoots and get as many segments in the can that I can before I'm forced to move on to the upcoming projects. I also expect these very talented young men to move onto bigger things fairly quickly. I must make hay while the sun shines. For the first shoot, I picked a beef curry dish to promote the manga, Again Tomorrow*. The actor I chose to play Yuusei (upper left), the handsome leading man with amnesia was Donal Thoms-Cappello (below right) who is great looking and resembled the manga character. The other was the next dish I'd been planning to film anyway, Tonjiru or Pork Miso soup. The actor playing Misaki who made the dish for a tutor that would later become his lover in Junjour Romantica was Ryohie Watanabe. This actor is actually Japanese and has more than a passing familiarity making that dish. A third actor, Kevin Chambers (He's left in the apron being geeky. He's also about to eat that whole bowl of stew.), agreed to come by for a photo shoot. While here, he read the lines from the voice over announcer who is the antagonist in the videos. That was helpful for the guys on camera, and really kind to me. And I was most lucky to have make-up maven, Cat Elrod, in the house. Aside from being highly skilled at her job, she is always a delight to have on set. She even helped me do the dishes!
All in all, things went rather well. Jon did what set decorating there was before he went to work. I had weeks to clean and organize the apartment. Incidentally, this shoot finally pushed me to change the apartment from being a place where a sick person was recovering back to an apartment. I find I really like not being surrounded by pill bottles. But I digress. There was food prep for each dish, photographing ingredients and the actors, running the sound and shooting the video and selecting wardrobe. The whole five hours went by in a blur. I hope I seemed competent during the whole ordeal. I did manage to get everything on my shot lists. The sound for each segment was recorded properly. It's not all done perfectly. There will be challenges in post, but they are minor enough that I'm certain I can make the required adjustments on my own. The performances were very good. I think the yaoi readers will get what they were hoping for. The Yuusei character was flirty and really funny. The Misaki character was shy and sweet. Above all, the food was really good. Each dish was consumed immediately after I took the last shot of it plated up. What was really wonderful to hear for this amateur chef was that, for Ryohei, the food turned out like real Japanese cooking he would get at home. In this case, I had the sense to listen to him when he adjusted the recipes I was using while cooking on camera. A great chef knows when to get out of the way! I admit that I'm really jazzed that this went off well.
That said, this shoot also drove home that I can't handle running all over a really big sound stage or location for days on end during a feature. I'm going to have to be rigid about what I will be doing on these projects. But I am pleased to know that I will be able to have some role. That wasn't really clear until this past Friday. Yeah, I'm jazzed.
Now, it's back to juggling the scripts and manga and video editing and cooking. A lot of wonderful things are on the horizon.
Stay tuned.
*Again Tomorrow - Ashita Kara Mouichido © Nabako Kamo. All rights reserved. Original Japanese edition published in 2010 by Taiyoh Tosho Publishing Co., Ltd.