Liz Matis's Blog, page 19

It is just as disastrous to have the wrong accessories in your room as it is to wear sport shoes with an evening dress. Dorothy Draper

[image error]

Like my character Victoria Bryce in Love By Design, Dorothy Draper was born into a wealthy family. Though for Dorothy her decision to open the first interior design business in the US was a bit shocking. It was 1923 and she revolutionized the concept of design.

Here are some quotes from Victoria's inspiration - Dorothy Draper


I believe in doing the thing you feel is right. If it looks right, it is right.
Dorothy Draper

Never look back, except for an occasional glance, look ahead and plan for the future. Success is not built on past laurels, but rather on a continuous activity. Keep busy searching out new ideas and, experimentally, keep ahead of the times, or at least up with them. Dorothy Draper

[there] seems to be within all of us an innate yearning to be lifted momentarily out of our own lives into the realm of charm and make believe. Dorothy Draper

I always think out a problem as clearly as possible, and then act on it. My theory has always been to get started. The moment I get an idea I act upon it. If only people would act on more of their ideas, I am convinced they would lead more interesting lives.
Dorothy Draper, Christian Science Monitor

[on marketing using interior design] You don't sell a commodity, you sell joy, gaiety, excitement. You aim at people's hearts, not their minds.
Dorothy Draper, Detroit News

Six Sentence Sunday - 10/16/11

Another six from Love By Design - that is out now in all your favorite ebook formats! As part of the show Victoria is going to teach Russ how to sew a pillow.

With the cameras rolling, Russ eyed the sewing machine skeptically while rubbing the stubble on his chin. "I don't know, Victoria."
"Just think of it as just another power tool."
"A power tool?"
"Yes, like that jiggy thing," she said, waving her hand toward Wood Working World.
"You mean the jigsaw?"

"I can always be distracted by love, but eventually I get horny for my creativity." Gilda Radner

Gilda Radner remains one of my favorites from Saturday Night Live
Here some are serious quotes from the very funny Gilda Radner....

Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Gilda Radner

While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our creativity or our glorious uniqueness. Gilda Radner
.
"It's such an act of optimism to get through a day and enjoy it and laugh and do all that without thinking about death. What spirit human beings have!" Gilda Radner

Here are some funny ones....

I base my fashion taste on what doesn't itch.
Gilda Radner

I'd much rather be a woman than a man. Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they're the first to be rescued off sinking ships.
Gilda Radner

I'm so full I can't hear.
Gilda Radner

Love By Design - Available for Kindle, Nook, Sony, IPad, Ect

[image error]

The hot prime time TV show, Design Intervention, starts the second season with its own surprise makeover. Interior designer Victoria Bryce must break in her temporary co-host, Aussie Russ Rowland.

Victoria, former socialite wild child hopes the reality show will give her the clout to launch her own design line without her family connections. Russ, former bad boy Australian TV star is using the show to launch his acting career in the States.

Sparks fly on camera as they argue over paint colors and measurement mishaps leading to passions igniting behind the scenes. But when their pasts collide with the present will the foundation they built withstand the final reveal?

Six Sentence Sunday - 10/09/11

From Love By Design - Release date for Kindle and Nook - TUESDAY!

Russ never liked it when women trekked to the bathroom together. It meant trouble. And not the good, fantasy type of trouble. At least she couldn't accuse him of eavesdropping again. The door whipped open. Startled, even though he knocked, he took a step back from where he was lounging against the doorframe.

The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. Roseanne Barr

I can relate to all of these quotes! How about you?

The quickest way to a man's heart is through his chest.
Roseanne Barr

Women complain about PMS, but I think of it as the only time of the month when I can be myself.
Roseanne Barr

I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on.
Roseanne Barr

It's okay to be fat. So you're fat. Just be fat and shut up about it.
Roseanne Barr

I call myself a 'domestic goddess.
Roseanne Barr

Six Sentence Sunday - 10/02/11

Six more from Love By Design - to be released by the end of the month!!! Victoria is acting like she is mad at Russ for the benefit of the camera crew to throw them off that she and Russ are lovers.

"Well, if you had built it right in the first place, we wouldn't all be standing around waiting for you to correct it."
His eyes narrowed in that sexy way of his. "Me?" He stalked over to where she stood as the crew pretended to look away. "I was only following your plans."
"Measure twice and cut once."

Book or Film? Woodstock Film Festival.

After the Actor's Dialogue Panel my sister and I hit the stores. Lot's of nice items to browse but I was good. Then we sat at an outdoor café and enjoyed a lovely lunch. (side note: Why are there no ice cream shops in Woodstock?) We attended the screening of East Fifth Bliss with Michael C Hall and Peter Fonda.
Here is the movie synopsis: Michael C. Hall is Morris Bliss in this coming-of-age tale of a 35-year-old with a wicked case of inertia. Bliss still lives at home with his father, mourns the death of his mother and just can't seem to find a way out. When he stumbles into an awkward relationship with the sexually precocious, 18-year-old daughter of a former high school classmate, Morris quickly discovers his static life comically unraveling and opening up in ways that are long overdue.
I enjoyed the film – I give it 3 stars.


It was nice to have the director Michael Knowles there at the end to answer questions. And I had one – a big one – you see the movie shows Hall sleeping with all his clothes on at the beginning of the film – the 18 year even mentions it – as the movie moves along – each night Bliss removes one more article of clothing until he is sleeping naked.
So while I get this shows the character opening up - I wanted to know why is he sleeping in his clothes in the first place – so I posed this question to the director.
Me: "Can you talk a little about the symbolism of why he was shedding clothes."
Director – Michael Knowles (I'm paraphrasing here) he says basically what I thought but adds that in the book when at the age of 14, Bliss's is woken up to rush to the hospital – his mother his dying – he stops to dress and by the time he gets there his mother has died and he doesn't get to say good-bye
Yeah – that's big.
And there lies the problem of book to film.
The director went onto say that they didn't use the scene because it was too dark and they wanted to keep the feel of the quirky comedy.

And why did he select this book? He was at a cigar bar in the East Village and a DVD of one of his films was being sold there and so was the book East Fifth Bliss by Douglas Light - and the author and filmmaker agreed on a trade! Then they spent the next (I think he said 2 years) writing the screenplay together. Cool story.

"Respect your craft." Vincent D'Onodrio

This was the second year I attended The Woodstock Film Festival. I love being around all these independent creative people!

My sister (the actress) and I (the writer) attended the panel called Actors Dialogue. Vincent D'Onodrio from Law and Order: Criminal Intent was this year's surprise panelist. He also played Edgar, a giant cockroach-like alien who inhabits the body of a farmer in Men In Black. (How he created that character is a story onto itself.)
What can a writer learn from an actor? Here we go….
Actor: Preparation and commitment. He learned his craft before his big break with director Stanly Kubrick. D'Onofrio said that as a young actor he was amazed at the lack of preparation of some of the actors on set, which led to Kubrick firing them and sending them on their way. D'Onofrio was ready and in Full Metal Jacket he created one of those most shocking moments in film – he did it in 3 takes without direction from Kubrick.
Writing: How prepared are you? Have you studied your craft? Whether it's an MBA in English, classes at a conference, or breaking down books in your genre – get prepared and keep on learning and growing. Are you committed to your writing?
Actor: He said Kubrick didn't see the story as a whole or even in scenes but in 35 mm shots.
Writer: Every sentence is important. Look at each line we write and ask how it contributes to the whole.
Actor: Someone from the audience asked him how he prepares for a role and he said the first thing as actor you have to realize is that its all about Story, Story, Story (he karate chopped the table 3x times for emphasis). As an actor he asks himself how does my character help tell that story.
If you are familiar with Criminal Intent it was his decision to do the slight tilt of the head/bend of the character (it came about when he was questioning a suspect and the actor would only look at the table so he did a have bend until he caught the gaze of the other actor). Those famous pauses? – yeah he was told he couldn't do that because it created dead air but he held his ground because he believed in his vision of the character.
Writing: It's these little nuances that make a character memorable. What can you do to make your main character memorable? How does your character(s) help tell your story?
Actor: The best piece of advice he received as a young actor? Take it seriously. He was told he was great – that even when he failed – he was still great – but he needed to respect his craft and stop dangling one foot in – put both feet in and commit to your craft.
Writing: I'm going to take this one step further – Do you respect YOURSELF as a writer? If you do then you better log off now and get writing. (that is after you leave me a wonderful comment –lol)

Next time I'll talk about the movie screening I attended and the problems of book to film and the director's answer to the question I posed.

Six Sentence Sunday - 09/25/11

six more from Love by Design...


"It's not going to fit," said Victoria in a moment of pure panic.
"Will so," grunted Russ.
"It's too big."
"No such thing."
"Cut," yelled Stephen.
Victoria tore her gaze away from Russ's flexing muscles as he tried to maneuver a fifty-two-inch television into a spot she had created for a fifty-one inch.



I will be at the Woodstock Film Festival today so I'll check in tonight with all my six sunday peeps! Be sure to check back later in the week for a post about my experience. (Last year I breathed the same air as Keanu Reeves - but I was to shy to go up and have him sign my program)