Everyday Goddess

Sure, there's zombies, but have you heard of XOMBIE???

I have a confession to make. I'm not a big zombie aficionado. Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, Bite Me, that's really as far as my live-action zombie knowledge and experience goes.

My best friends and business partners, on the other hand, are into zombies. Like *really* into zombies. (See Bite Me, listed above.)

Luckily, there's a supercool place where our passion for the undead comes together. It's kick-ass, it's animated, it's XOMBIE. The Xombie universe features an animated webseries, online comic, comic books, a novel, and a whole lot of Xombie goodness spinning around this guy, DIRGE:

Name: DIRGE

Etymology: Mournful lyric / leader

Status: Undead

Weapon of Choice: Shovel

A mortally challenged man with a mind of his own, Dirge struggles to cope with the annoyances of unlife, all the while keeping tabs on Zoe - the one person who makes him feel alive. Forever the pessimist, Dirge fights against his posthumous tendencies, determined to be a good person no matter the inconvenience.

Of course, there's a whole host of cool characters, including a human girl, ZOE; a now-back-among-the-moving Egyptian beauty, NEPHTHYS; and Dirge's trusty puppy xombie, CERBERUS. And many more.

Xombie: Dead on Arrival follows Dirge, a mortally challenged monster with muscle to spare. Armed with reason, and impervious to death, he will face unspeakable horror on his way to reunite a lost little girl with her family. Can he protect a single living soul from certain death? Can he outrun the nebulous forces behind the zombie plague? And if a monster truly saves a human life, is it really a monster after all?

You can watch all the Xombie flash cartoons here.  I just rewatched them all this morning (yes, I get up at 5:30am on Monday morning before work and watch animated cartoons and then blog about them), and I am SO EXCITED for season 2. Which brings me to the issue at hand. Oh, yes, my friends, there is a Xombie Kickstarter campaign, and I would REALLY, REALLY appreciate it if you would check it out:

My producer friends Cindi Rice and John Frank Rosenblum from Epic Level Entertainment, and the most awesome Xombie-creator James Farr, know how to do web content right. Check out Epic Level TV on YouTube, and don't miss my personal fav show, Space Guys In Space, and much fun Earth Force 5, directed by yours truly. (James Farr, BTW, is the father behind the Portal bedroom.)

I have another confession. I made a big resolution this year that I didn't blog about. Yet. 'Cause here goes. I resolved to get paid to direct for the first time, this year. I filled in one eye of my Daruma I've been sitting on since I bought it in 2009 at a very special place to me, the Morikami Museum in Florida, and I vowed. This is the year. 2012.

So while my Xombie interest is strictly fan-based, I've got eggs in the Epic Level Entertainment basket. I'm invested in them for so many reasons. And not just 'cause they'll read my stuff.

They're my friends. They've got mad skills. They work with and nurture supercool talented people. And the worlds and stories they bring to life rock. Often, on the Interwebs. Which is a wild, wild west that I love very much.

So today, Xombie, Death Warmed Over. It's a big campaign, and Xombie is overdue for some love. My research shows, that projects that fund at the higher levels do so greatly due to numerous contributions at the lower levels. So if you want to support me, and/or Xombie looks supercool to you, even a $5 or $25 donation will - seriously - go a long way. The $50/$75/$100 levels get epically cooler, too. Donate there, and make me jealous.

'Cause when I look at Kickstarter campaigns, it's a lot like being at an art show for me. Few things please me as much as being able to support artists that I appreciate, and yet, I remain the broke-ass I've almost always been. I can't go to an art show and buy a painting, and I can't give James Farr the thousands that I would if I had it to give.

If *you've* got big bucks to give, Xombie, Death Warmed Over is a great project. James Farr and Epic Level Entertainment are total pros, and I've no doubt that Xombie Season Two will knock the socks off of the Interwebs. (Try to picture that for a beat.)

A bigger Kickstarter campaign is a marathon. At times, the goal seems hopelessly far away. But each hurdle gives the campaign more and more momentum and exposure, and the number begins to climb. And filmmakers are no stranger to what it feels like to stand at the base of a creative mountain and look up and believe you can get there. Right now, with 30 big fat days to go, the next hurdle for Xombie is that first $10K. Can you help today?

Xombie rocks, people. I want to see more. Interest peaked? Get involved, join the Xor-Gothuan Army, spread the word. The journey starts here. Chapter 1, The Dead Sea. It's under 5 minutes. Check it out, and get hooked. Or hit by shovel. Something like that.

Trojan Fun Pack Commercial V2

I got feedback on my Trojan Fun Pack commercial that the guys looked too similar, making the concept unclear, so I came up with a little fix, check it out:

What do you think? Clearer?

Definitely still sexy.  ;)

My Trojan Fun Pack Commercial

Lover of a budget and a full crew, I always say that if I had a particularly good idea that I could shoot in one room with just a handful of actors, a DP, and a grip, then I would. So I did.

This little spec commercial for the "Trojan Fun Pack" turned out to be a great way to brush off some directing cobwebs after the last rough three years and establish some new working relationships, plus dust off some old ones. It also motivated me to make some overdue updates to my directing website.

In terms of the piece itself, I can't decide if the idea of a size variety pack of condoms for the sexually active woman is so unexpected to some that they can't quite grok the commercial, or if I've simply failed miserably in terms of clarity of concept. Certainly, some people do get it right off the bat, but clarity is *so* crazy important in short form. Still, I was really pleased with the shooting day, and the post day, and how it came out. I think it's beautiful and cheeky and it makes me happy.

This weekend I'm working on some more mundane work like taxes and laundry, and then next weekend I'm back onto my webseries, "Zero Sight." The next step on that is website content (in terms of text and images) and creation.

Thanks so very much to everyone who helped me on this project.

And if you like it, or even if you hate it, please thumb, comment, embed, share, etc. at will!

3/9 UPDATE: OK, so FINALLY last night a couple friends told me that the commercial's unclear because the guys are too similar - which immediately I was like, Oh, I see that. At the time of the shoot, I was really into the fact that they were in the same wheelhouse for a variety of artistic reasons, but a lot of this project was about getting my brain into a commercial space, and that's one of the things that's important for sure. It's only 30 seconds, so everything has to be clear as day. I still love it, and I love the guys I worked with, but it's a fair criticism and a good lesson.

3/15 UPDATE: I made a little addition to the commercial for clarity. Added names over the feet shots. Check it out and see what you think.

OK. Not Moving.

Hollywood is like the surface of the sun.

On Sunday I went to look at an apartment in Echo Park. Great area, love it. For $1,025 it was 546 square feet without a dishwasher. Remember I pay $1,050 for 900 in NoHo. With a dishwasher. And central air.

The Echo Park apartment was really cute, but I've decided I'm not moving. Before my summer romance (I've been feeling somewhat cliché), I'd only just started to acknowledge and make space for the eastside glimmer in my eye. With someone, it was a good idea to move over the hill and take the opportunity to grow together. By myself... it's not really in the budget when half the "float" ceases to be a float and just becomes spent. And the time becomes spent. And you know it's near impossible to move into a new place with buying things to make the space work.

And I've garnered new appreciation of North Hollywood after looking at what your money buys just ten minutes over the hill. My apartment is too dark, but it's also big and beautiful. I can take the subway to Hollywood or downtown. I can fit 13 people into my apartment all sitting around a table for Thanksgiving. (Which filled the ENTIRE dining room/living room area, but still.)

Financially speaking, I already paid the transfer fee on the moving money and it's interest free until April, so I've transferred the funds into a savings account for now.

I've started thinking about some changes to this apartment. I think if I rearrange some of the lamps I can end up with more light in the living room where I need it.

My porch is super shady, but perhaps there's some hope for some herbs. I've heard parsley, rosemary, thyme and mint can do without full sun. And maybe I'll get a silly plant light stand so I can grow some basil on my kitchen counter.

Of course, first things first. I need to renew my Film Independent membership for the year and sign up for the Film Forum while the early bird discount is still on. And I'll be applying to the Directors Lab this year with "Sunny Days Weight Loss," written by the awesome Kathryne Isabelle Easton. Thank goodness for three paycheck months! All my extra money is going to Film Independent this month, and really, as it should be, my friends. As it should be.

My path continues.

You're Invited to a "Destruction Party."

Well actually, right now you're invited to help create a "Destruction Party." Or really, a film short about one.

I found the concept intriguing, so I'm going to let Writer/Director Amanda Mae Meyncke tell you about it in my first ever guest post on Everyday Goddess. Take it away, Amanda Mae!

Imagine your friend told you she has never felt pretty in her life, or that she felt like nothing had turned out the way she wanted. Now imagine you could hand her a piece of china, and tell her to throw it and release all her anger as you both watched it shatter.

My name is Amanda Mae Meyncke and I am the writer and director of a short film, Destruction Party. The film takes place in a single afternoon as four life-long female friends assume they’re gathering for a dinner party, when in fact they are about to share the struggles they’re going through and in return be given various pieces of china to smash. Though the girls are hesitant at first, they soon get into the swing of things as old worries and new hurts come to light.

Attending Sundance this year really opened my eyes when it came to films that spoke to my experiences. I wondered where the movies were that represented problems faced by myself and the girls I know. Who was telling our stories? Very few women, it turns out. I set out to write a short film that would reflect real relationships and the issues women in their late twenties deal with, including uncertainty, fear, regret, as well as the joy of being known and loved as you are. These are real girls, talking about body issues, family matters and relationships, and their friendship is the core of the film. Hopefully this is just the start and we’ll get a chance to continue making films that reflect real women and their relationships.

The film is written and produced by women, our four actors are women, and our 40 person crew is currently about 70% women. This is definitely unheard of in Hollywood, where women still make up a sliver of the workforce compared to men. We’re shooting over two days in late June, and filming on the Red camera. We have some very talented actresses on board including Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls) and Amy Davidson (8 Simple Rules) and are very excited about the project overall. Everyone is donating their time and energy to get the picture made, and I couldn’t be more pleased with where we’re at, two and a half weeks out.

Hi, it's Liz again. Jumping in here to encourage you to check out the Destruction Party Kickstarter page. As I'm posting this, they're only $2,000 away from their goal. Check out their video for more about "Destruction Party."

Good luck to the entire "Destruction Party" team!

Nothing's Changed But Me

It's sobering to be looking at 40 with finances that spent the last two years resetting to 2002 thanks to unemployment and the joy of temping. Not completely, but still, it's pretty bad. Money's tight, and I've got a list of expenses I'd like to get through by the end of the year (dental work, car repairs, etc.). It's frustrating to feel so behind the curve. Money's coming in, slowly but surely, but then it's flying right back out.

Years ago, I used to say I was living a life where none of my dreams come true.

Now I say that all my "by 40" goals just became "by 50" goals. And that's... sobering. Focusing. And just the way it is.

But I've realized there's a pretty intense benefit to this feeling of having taken one step forward and two steps back.

Because I'm happy.

And if nothing major has changed in my life - still not a working director, still single, still broke - then there's absolutely no denying that what *has* changed, is me.

Like, A LOT.

I'm so changed, that when I look back and see my struggles, frustrations, and mistakes, I'm pretty well able to let it go and simply feel grateful to have gotten here. No matter the cost.

Well, OK, it would be cool to get my student loan out of forebearance. But, baby steps.

I'm not saying I've climbed every mountain. I've had some moments this year with my abandonment issues and lingering insecurities. I declared this year the Year Of No Fear, but sometimes it's like I simply forget for a beat.

I guess the easy way to explain what's going on with me is just a whole lot of release and prioritization and fun and gratefulness and faith (in myself, in the world). You know I put monthly quotes in my paper calendar, and this month I wrote this, which I got from a Facebook status update:

"If we can be truly patient, we never have any problems." Maezumi Roshi

"That tells us that all problems are problems of patience." Karen Maezen Miller

I'm still working through some things - I like to think that all of us always are, to some extent - but what I seem to have gained is a patience I didn't have before (with myself, with the world). I'm grateful for all the good things in my life; I'm gratified to be working towards being my one, authentic self; I love where I live and work and what I do; and most important, I'm so happy to have good work to do every day, in the entertainment industry working on my own directing projects and other people's projects as well. I'm loving and living in every moment, and I'm working towards my goals however I can.

I'm happy to be here.

Making this the year I stopped living a life where none of my dreams come true, and started really Living The Dream.

Hollywood, and Food Trucks, and Tweeting, Oh, My!

And not so much eating. As a South Beach Diet pescatarian, most food truck food, while often tempting, isn't up my alley. But it is *in* my alley, so to speak. Which is to say that I work near Cole Place, Sunset Boulevard, and the CNN building. Food Truck Alley.

I'm also a professional tweeter. Oh, yes, the day finally came. I'm currently the tweeter behind @thepostgroup.

One of the things I've been working on is tracking the food trucks and retweeting them when they're going to be on Cole. So that one part of our Twitter feed is providing a bit of a service to our neighborhood. If you work in the area, I'd love for you to follow us!

Also, of course, if you're in the post production industry. I also tweet and retweet items of entertainment industry interest.

Meanwhile, here's what *my* lunch looked like today:

How I resisted The Greasy Weiner, I'll never know! (Seriously, they have a veggie dog, and it looked superyum!)

From Great, to Hanging In There, to Great again.

There was a time, just a few years ago, when if you asked me how I was doing I would reply with an enthusiastic, "Great!" It was part positive attitude, to be sure. Part gratitude. Part determination. It came from my truth.

During the laid off years, I eventually landed on "Hanging in there." It was part positive attitude. Part gratitude. A lot of determination. It came from my truth.

And it wasn't "Great."

When I finally found myself with a job - and not just any job, but a great fit for me back at The Post Group, a place - in terms of business AND location AND people - where I am really happy to be, I noticed that I was feeling overly cautious. I've had a slight dalliance with "Pretty good."

But even as part of me was twitching my nose and eyeing the landscape, my creativity was up, up and away. All my energy for work on projects was off and running from my first week back. Things were getting better, and they were getting better fast.

Still with the cautious, though. Financially I don't have much choice for a while. Still worried about getting through the salvage registration on my car. Still worried about getting my hotel room and a roommate for BlogHer, which I can't even get on until I'm through the salvage registration. All this is still creating some drag, and I have to admit I can't help occasionally eyeing the sky for another shoe to drop.

But.

There was a moment during CicLAvia this weekend when my heart cried, "I love you, Los Angeles!" Maybe I should have shouted it out like a rock star, but in that moment, I guess it was just for me.

And on Saturday, I went to a celebration at my yoga studio, InYoga Center, and it was so joyous from beginning to end.

But it was Friday when I realized that I was once again doing "Great!" I got a text from a friend with last minute plans for the second time in a week. And for the second time in a week, I pulled myself together and said, "Yes!" And as I was pulling out of my work parking lot in Hollywood, thinking about my job, and thinking about getting home to get ready to go out, and thinking about some creative work I'd finished during the week and some that I need to buckle down on this week, I suddenly realized, I Feel Great.

I made it. I made it back to Great.

What is going on with the Hollywood Brown Derby space?

UPDATE: OK, so not quite the Brown Derby space - Hello! gsjansen was kind enough to put an update on her Flickr photo complete with pics, check it out! Of course it now seems clear as day to me that it's not the same space, but I love this store front all the same.

Back when I became obsessed with all the awesome construction going on in Hollywood 90028, circa 2008/2009, there was one space that particularly fascinated me. It was an old storefront that was being preserved amid all the distraction:

That's 4/18/08 above, and here's what it looked like on 1/16/09:

I got laid off from my Hollywood job in June of 2009, and my pictures stop. I kept an eye on the construction when I happened to be in Hollywood, and by then it was all progressing quickly and looking shiny fast.

Then one day, a friend on Facebook linked to a series of Los Angeles then and now pictures on Flickr by gsjansen. She uses archival photos and Google street view. It's completely amazing.

And flipping through, I suddenly discovered that my favorite store front was the Hollywood Brown Derby in 1928 (click for pic). She also states that, "before it became the brown derby, this building was built for Cecil B. Demille as his studio office before the laskey movie studios at vine and selma moved it's operation to Paramount on Melrose."

Making this space some serious Hollywood history that the developers in this area beautifully preserved.

Yet, it sits empty today:

 

Little known fact about me: I dream about being the kind of person who can buy buildings. Specificially, buildings in Hollywood. I love the historic Broadway building and I love the new Redbury, although I have to admit that I had no idea it was a hotel until just now when I looked up the link. Definitely putting a stay there on my list of things to do now that I'm employed in Hollywood once again. (Hooray!)

And now I have a new building to dream about. I imagine that the fate of the Hollywood Brown Derby space is tied to the cool looking building it's attached to (love the billboard and believe I spy an outdoor deck in the back upper left). The whole thing looks empty, so I suspect there's some sort of bankruptcy or legal conflict going on. Such a shame, because it's a great location and a beautiful space. And I tremble to think that someone might get their hands on it and pull the storefront.

I don't know what will happen next, but I do know that I will be watching and dreaming.

How bad do I want to see a Maccabeats / Model Minority Concert? SO BAD

Seriously, how L.A. would this action be? Put these guys in a room together and magic, I tell you, MAGIC:

 

That's original Model Minority, but also check out Faster, which doesn't have embed.

Tell me I'm not the only person who thinks a Maccabeats / Model Minority collaboration would be insanely full of win. I'd totally like to see the Maccabeats expand their repertoire, and Model Minority get a shinier, viral video.

And a live concert, of course. This is L.A. after all. Bring it!

(Hat tip to Cynthia Liu on Model Minority (she has an incredibly cool documentary about yos yos - tip jar, baby, support!). Can't remember who first shared Maccabeats with me.)