Raymond Gaynor's Blog, page 5

Veni Vidi Vici

Actor Daniel S. Janik here (author Raymond Gaynor/Gary Martine) Back from Chicago and the Chicago International Indie Film Festival (https://chicagoiiff.org) where, on 5 November 2022, Eriko Okada (“Susan”), Setsuko Tsuchiya (“Edna”) and I (“Will Gardner”) walked the red carpet along with Director Kenny Simmons and co-Executive Producer Lisa Simmons, writer Richard and wife Kay Rose in celebration of the STATIC movie winning the Jury Special Mention Award for Feature Length Fiction. Co-Exective Producer Helen R. Davis, unable to attend, walked the red carpet in our hearts along with the rest of the cast and crew. It was a day I’ll always remember, in that one of the judges, a fellow actor from another film and one audience member pulled me aside and complimented my acting, saying the movie brought them to tears.

While attending the awards in Chicago, our director received an announcement that the STATIC movie received an award for Best Feature Film at the Moody Crab Film Fest Season 10 (https://www.moodycrabfilmfest.com/sea...), further multiplying our joy.

Chicago was as professed, the Windy City, in contrast to the warmth of the people we met while staying at the Chicago Hilton, one of the true Grand Hotels. While there we Setsuko, Richard, Kay and I celebrated our successes at a jazz club, featuring local progressive jazz musicians.

Setsuko and I stopped for a brief time on our way back to Honolulu at Las Vegas’ classic Tropicana Hotel, where, despite “donating” more than we won, we had a good time reliving our moments at the CIIFF Awards Ceremony and resting up for our long trip home.



Left to Right: Kay and Richard Rose, Setsuko Tsuchiya, Daniel S. Janik, Kenny Simmons, Eriko Okada and Lisa Simmons

#DanielSJanik #SetsukoTsuchiya #ErikoOkada #RichardRose #KayRose #KennySimmons #LisaSimmons #HelenRDavis #Chicago #International #Film #Festival #CIIFF #award #movie #film #RedCarpet #cast #crew #Static #MoodyCrabFilmFest #BestFeatureFilm #ChicagoHilton #jazz #LasVegas #Tropicana

MOVIE AWARDS AND ALL THAT JAZZ

MOVIE AWARDS AND ALL THAT JAZZ

LET'S GO RIGHT TO THE HEART of today's post:
First, I'm heading off tomorrow to the Chicago International Indie Film Festival -- https://chicagoiiff.org -- along with co-star Eriko Okada (who played "Susan") and Setsuko Tsuchiya (who played "Edna") in the K. Simmons Production of STATIC (2021) (aka "The STATIC Movie") -- https://ksmediagroupinc.com/the-stati.... Together with the the director, Kenny Simmons, Executive Producer Lisa Simmons and screenwriter Richard Rose and his wife Kay, we'll walk the red carpet to the Awards Ceremony on 5 November 2022 from 5 to 10 p.m. Haven't seen the movie yet? Well this is your big chance: Go to https://chicagoiiff.org/online-screen... scroll down and click on the STATIC poster and you can watch the movie streamed HD for free! Live in the area? Grab a ticket (only $35) and join us at the Awards Ceremony! STATIC is a selected finalist. Awards will be announced and presented at the Awards Ceremony. Can't join us in Chicago? Follow me on https://janik.yolasite.com/static.php for all that's fit to print and behind-the-scenes vignettes as well.

As a retired physician, has been my privilege and pleasure as lead actor, Daniel S. Janik (playing "Will Gardner") to be a part of this wonderful film, honoring victims and caretakers of Alzheimer's and other dementias.

But there's more: While preparing for our trip, I learned that STATIC has won "Best Feature Film" in the Moody Crab Film Fest -- https://www.moodycrabfilmfest.com/sea..., further sweetening our appearance at CIIFF. Be sure to take advantage of the free screening of STATIC mentioned above.

And, yes, while in Chicago, I'm hoping to chance upon a good jazz club. A lover of 1920's and 1930's style jazz, I look forward to not only attending the CIIFF Awards Ceremony, but sampling Chicago "and all that jazz."



#DanielSJanik #ErikoOkada #SetsukoTsuchiya #RichardRose #KennySimmons #LisaSimmons #Static #movie #film #award #CIIFF #Chicago #International #Independent #Indie #Festival #Fest #Alzheimer #dementia #physician #doctor #actor #actress #BestFeatureFilm #Moody #Crab #KSimmonsProductions #jazz

THE MALTESE COLLECTION NEARS RELEASE

THE MALTESE COLLECTION NEARS RELEASE

AS two of the Executive Producers of the K. Simmons’ Production of THE MALTESE COLLECTION, Setsuko Tsuchiya and I are pleased to hear it is exiting editing and will soon begin screenings. THE MALTESE COLLECTION — https://ksmediagroupinc.com/maltese-c... — is a bio-documentary reprise to multi-award-winning author and screenwriter William Maltese, and his many inspirations, achievements. Pushing the edge in literature and now film, Maltese is a pioneer in his lifelong support of erotica and LGBTQ stories, authors and readers.

Add my own decade-long association with William, at one point co-authoring together TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2006) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556, prequel to THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2021) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859 — and upcoming sequel, PROPHECY, to my pleasure at appearing briefly in the film, and you can imagine have some measure of my own excitement.

Produced and directed by Kenny Simmons and co-directed, filmed and edited by Dallen Taylor, THE MALTESE COLLECTION explores the roots of many of today’s “cutting edge” novels. It’s about the most challenging social topics of the 60s, 70s and 80s with which authors and readers still struggle. It’s about what makes today, today.

Won’t you join me in applauding its imminent release. Congratulations, William Maltese, for continuing to lay down and expand the foundations of contemporary literature and movies, yet another lifetime achievement. Follow the making of THE MALTESE COLLECTION at https://janik.yolasite.com/thewilliam....



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IS THERE ANOTHER DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

WAIT! Wait! Wait! No need for panic. This isn’t about actor Daniel S. Janik or actress Setsuko Tsuchiya and sudden ill health. It IS about Setsuko Tsuchiya just finishing here PhD in Ballroom and Latin Dance Performance, and the release of the more literary form of her dissertation as a book. THE POWER OF DANCE: Partner Dance From Ballroom to Olympic Sport (Savant 2022) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737643162. Our household is a Dr. Dr. one now.

But more important than the degree, is, as I’ve always held, the journey there. I’ve enjoyed watching Dr. Tsuchiya over the seven years of her doctoral work grow in both knowledge and wisdom especially in regard to Ballroom and Latin-American dance. What impressed me most about her dissertation and book, however, is her way of looking at Ballroom and Latin-American dance: As PARTNER dance. The power of dance is certainly there irregardless of form, but I never looked at the unique power of partner dance as she has in her book. Introduced by World Champion and Adjudicator, Mr. Albert Franz, it’s replete with interesting new ways of looking at partner dance, as the title states, from ballroom to Olympic sport.

“Keen amateur dancers of the world: At last, a single authoritative book encapsulating everything necessary to move from social ballroom to performance and competitive DanceSport and on to the Olympics. Includes history, definitions, syllabi, dance notation, and the power of dance with its unique ability to change lives.”

What more can I say other than the book became an Amazon genre bestseller within the first week of its release!



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GOIN’ TO CHICAGO, CHICAGO HERE WE COME…

SORRY about not posting the past couple of days, but I’ve been overly busy arranging things for a couple upcoming “road trips.” First there’s Japan to get some additional one-on-one dance coaching from Seiji and Hiromi Yuki (Mr. Albert Franz is still our choreographer and primary dance coach) for our “honor dance” at the gala studio party scene in FINDING KATE — https://ksmediagroupinc.com/finding-kate. Immediately afterwards, we’re off to the Windy City to appear at the Chicago International Indy Film Festival (CIIFF) Awards Banquet —https://chicagoiiff.org/ciiff-2022/, to walk the red carpet for my role in the K. Simmons Production of STATIC (2022) — https://ksmediagroupinc.com/the-stati....

All this while pre-screening THE MALTESE COLLECTION — https://ksmediagroupinc.com/maltese-c... in which I am an interviewee extolling my multi-award-winning friend and co-author of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2006) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556, Mr. William Maltese. And, yes, I’m reading his screenplay gift to Setsuko and me entitled WINNOWING with full intention of appearing in it. Busy, busy, busy, but everything is slowly working out. Follow me and our travel antics at https://janik.yolasite.com/actor.php.

So today, it’s back to wardrobe to decide what to wear, what to wear, walking the red carpet at CIIFF…



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CHILDREN’S HOUR

AUTHORS write for a specific readership, be it that of the publisher, or intent. It’s what makes the big difference between authors and writers, who record and write for themselves (and possibly generic posterity). One of my personal favorite genre’s is children’s books, within which I’ve had the distinct pleasure of pioneering Savant Books and Publications’ “COLOR ME PLEASE” series.

Children’s books seem to many the easiest to write. Ah, yes, write. But authoring children’s books is quite different. First, while written for children, the children often aren’t the ones who choose the book (as of present, I don’t believe many children have their own pocket money or credit cards). Hence, children’s books typically appeal first the adults who will purchase the book, and only secondarily to the child. A sad situation (give them their own book credit cards?). Next, there’s that tricky issue of why a particular book is “child-worthy.” Does it reinforce a parental view of morality? Do the characters and colors reflect what the parents think will pleasure the child (and, of course, their own Peter-Pan-like inner child)? Does it “teach” something useful or practical that a child may use in later life? Finally, what is it’s “staying power?” What makes it a book that transcends the initial reading (remember that it’s typically the parent who will end up re-reading the book out loud countless times). I recall one Christmas in my life where I received several books in a box, and ended up playing for hours with the box which served as a, yes, box, but also space helmet, pirate hat, backpack, the chest part of a spacesuit, connector hub for fire hoses, and later, split in two, multipurpose boots. For the life of me, I can’t recall the books that were in that box!

As an educator, when Savant produced its first “COLOR ME PLEASE” children’s book, I wanted it to be something extraordinary for the child, multipurpose, as well as something that would be treasured long after the child became an adult. So, first, only the cover was in color (for the parents) while the rest of the interior images were black and white line drawings, inviting the child to color and thereby learn and personalize the story. The colored book would thereafter become a memory legacy for child, parent, and the child’s children. Second, the “topics” would be those most relevant to children: what does everything about them mean, family, how to make friends, how to delight in the world, play, curiosity, discovery, self-satisfaction. Third, the book could be easily paired with a plush animal, allowing the child to “read” the story to his or her own companion, endearing both story and personal animal for years to come.

The first Savant “COLOR ME PLEASE” children’s book was A WHALE’S TALE (Savant 2009) which quickly came out as a book, CD and plush humpback whale set and remains a Savant bestseller — https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ.... It’s a book about family (ohana). It was followed by MYTHICAL VOYAGE (Savant 2010) — https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ... — an adolescent fantasy about from where horses (and thereby we humans) ultimately come. Next was THE TURTLE DANCES (Savant 2013) with its own CD and plush green sea turtle — https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ... — a book about making friends and being true to yourself. These were followed by THE ADVENTURES OF PURPLE HEAD, BUDDAH MONKEY AND STICKY FEET (Savant 2016) — about health and safety — and finally, TRUTH AND TELL TRAVEL THE SOLAR SYSTEM (Savant 2020) — a child’s look at our almost unimaginable solar system. All these books are usually available from Amazon, GooglePlay and Apple Books.

One of the most important things to remember in authoring children’s books, in my opinion, is to never forget that adults are adult children with remaining, unresolved issues, but they’re not, strictly speaking, children anymore. They may enjoy a a peek into that world, but they don’t live in it anymore. Children have issues primarily with fitting into a complicated world into which they were born not by choice. Their principal method of learning about the world and their place within it is through curiosity and self-discovery, a “fact” even more important when authoring for adolescents, who’s main challenge is paring away things they’ve learned or been taught that seem un-useful, misdirected or irrelevant in light of the world each is attempting to assemble.

While it’s a true pleasure to author children’s books, there is considerable responsibility involved beyond selling it a parent(s) and providing pure eye-candy for the child.



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MINIONS

AUTHORS like me, Daniel Janik (aka Raymond Gaynor/Gary Martine), used to call them our “readers” in a respectful voice. ACTORS like me, Daniel S. Janik, used to call them our “fans,” treating every fan like royalty with appreciation. POLITICIANS, BUSINESSPERSONS, ADVERTISERS and INFLUENCERS typically call them or at least regard them as minions, with a decidedly derogatory tone, and, unfortunately, that attitude is spreading from business to everything business touches these days. In my opinion, it’s all about the reactionary movement “back to the past” before COVID, when face-to-face crowd sales was amazingly lucrative and customers, were, indeed, minions. It’s equally about the stubbornness, anti-intellectualism and lack of interest in moving from those days to the new, post-COVID, where individual service is the door to the future.

Individual service begins by redefining what customers/consumers/people are, but at the least, NOT minions. At best they are unique individuals, deserving respect, politeness and individual service, typically over the internet, “by distance,” and/or through Artificial Intelligence (AI). Think for a moment how today’s nationalism is making business increasingly difficult, costly and inhuman. What’s needed is a movement away from this, to, if we can’t restore globalism, at least personal services within nations. I would challenge nations to compete in offering individual services.

But, by personal service, I don’t mean only for the rich and powerful. That’s an equal perversion to the group-sales-to-minions approach. When challenged once about poor public transportation service, the “answer” was to require the rich and powerful to ride public transportation at least one day a week. Public transportation immediately improved, where no amount of honest complaints, protests or riots could bring about change to personal service.

Minions, sminions! Power is an illusion supported by susceptible individuals, when, in fact, it is an honor and responsibility given by those who give up some of their individual power for the greater good.



The Edge of Madness

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RECESSION OR RELAXATION?

WITH all the hype these days about recession/no recession, I’m going to take the long view and say that this may rather be the long needed relaxation — a deep, deep breath — after the Hyper-Velocity-Business years championed by former President Donald Trump. Personally, I feel it’s time to take a breath and be human, letting go of the frenetic chase for money and power.

It’s important in this decade of immense change to remember that we are meant to steward and enjoy the blessings of the earth. Animals know this. Why not us?

In my latest book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, I write about a plausible future world where technology continues to run amok, but a few humans continue to make room in their lives for simply being human and enjoying the human journey, wherever it may lead. Isn’t it time to put away the the financial forecasts for a moment, go to THE EDGE OF MADNESS, and just celebrate being human?

The Edge of Madness

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THE WHALE IN THE HOUSE

I’VE noticed recently a sudden plethora of reports in the news about beaching whales. Okay, so it may just be a noticeable but generally ignored normal occurrence. It could also be climate change, ocean pollution (including noise pollution civil or military) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetacea.... Or, stay with me here, could it be collective increasing anxiety amongst some of the most intelligent creatures on the planet? I don’t know what the whales are thinking, but humanity seems hell-bent on destroying itself and all the world’s living things, land or ocean-based, as well as the “living” planet, Gaia, itself. And don’t tell me the cetaceans don’t know anything about war or “the evil that lurks in the hearts of men.” In the past, porpoises and dolphins have been conscripted into the armed forces, and trained by various militaries to participate actively in human wars. Forget about the famous marines of the seas, the Seals; the “Naval Dolphins” have been there and followed orders with distinction time and again. Maybe with all the sonic chattering going on in the oceans, what we’re seeing is their collective anti-war appeals, or if unheeded, the start of the War of the Whale. Someone has to take a stand against war, even if only the cetaceans have the intelligence, gumption and resolve to stop us from obliterating ourselves and all other lifeforms.

The whole scenario rather reminds me of the fourth book of the six Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” series, SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345391837. Maybe the cetaceans are simply tired of waiting for us to figure out how to communicate, and have decided to take matters into their own…well…fins. Nuclear devastation certainly doesn’t exclude the oceans. In fact, given all the digital and electronic devices that seem to be suddenly failing all about me, I’m wondering if the cetaceans might not be in league with AIs. Or vice versa. Who knows. It’s a better conspiracy theory than most.

Remind you of a prophetic Savant book by Don “Four Arrows” Jacobs, LAST SONG OF THE WHALES — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0984555250? It should! Or my own children’s book A WHALE’S TALE — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1442105062 (available with audio CD read by Lynn Whitener to listen to before bed, and plush baby humpback whale toy to read to at https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...). And don’t try to tell me “the whales did it.” At least, they don’t seem to have given up on humans entirely yet.



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A NEW AUTHORITY

IT’S my distinct pleasure to be the first to announce the ascension of a new authority in the world of dance, acting and authoring, Dr. Setsuko Tsuchiya — https://www.setsukotsuchiya.com — having recently reached the end of her multi-year foray into academia with the final acceptance of her dissertation and completion of her PhD in Performing Arts in Ballroom and Latin Dance Performance. As her dance, acting and life partner, I can personally vouch for the difficulties she overcame in her journey towards what may well be one of the first such doctoral degrees in the world. My pride, like my awe, at her having completed this highest of academic degrees, not in her native Japanese, but in [Academic] English as a Second Language, has no bounds.

Dr. Tsuchiya began her academic pursuits in the USA, earning a BA in Liberal Arts in Dance at Thomas Edison University — https://www.tesu.edu, an MS in Somatic Therapy and later a PhD in Performing Arts in Ballroom and Latin Dance Performance from Bircham International University — https://www.bircham.edu. A performance/competition dancer representing USA and Japan regionally, nationally and internationally, she first appeared as a background dancer in the television series “Fantasy Island” (1998 – Episode 4 – “Dying to Dance”), which launched her public dance and acting career. She recently debuted as a supporting actress (“Edna”) in the movie STATIC (2021) — https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt15420946 — https://ksmediagroupinc.com/the-stati....

Originally from Japan, she began her academic studies at the former Hawaii College of Health Sciences. Her master’s thesis was published as a book entitled IN SEARCH OF SOMATIC THERAPY (Savant 2017) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0997247231. Her PhD dissertation, “The Power of Partnered Dance” is currently in press under the tentative title, THE POWER OF DANCE: Partnered Dance From Ballroom to Olympic Sport — https://www.savantbooksandpublication.... Way to go, Dr. Setsuko!



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