Mo' Editing

I did more editing of the movie this afternoon. I kinda procrastinated throughout the morning, but as I reminded myself: each day I work on it brings me a day closer to having it done. I really hope I've done the last edits on the movie itself, and hopefully I can move on to cutting the interviews. Remember when the audio kept dropping out? I decided to cut out the audio altogether, and just overlap the archive footage with the interviews. I think I've actually improved the movie by doing it. But I'll know for sure when I watch it again tomorrow.

Also, I got this in the mail today. I'm sure the "referral" that they describe in the letter came from my Teen Vogue subscription (which I subscribed to, until very recently). Either way, I think it's funny that they would send this to me, because I'm way beyond their demographic, age-wise.

Happy Go Lucky, Maybe.

Other than gathering the things I will need for tomorrow, I took a break from all things Bingo. After I shoot the interviews, I'm taking the weekend off and then I'll finish tweaking the movie. Then I'll start cutting down the interviews.

Last night, I watched Happy Go Lucky. Sally Hawkins plays Poppy, the type of girl we've all met at least once: perky to the point of being obnoxious, yet at the same time totally genuine. She gets on the nerves of her driving instructor, who by contrast is perpetually grumpy. The whole sounds like a premise for a sitcom, but like everything else Mike Leigh does, there's real dimension. I'll watch it again.

Able Danger, a movie I saw opening night at 2008's Brooklyn Film Festival, is now available on Amazon.com's VOD, where Are You From Bingo? will soon be heading. When I saw it, it was in black in white (with some key objects colored in), but you'll be able to seeing it in color.

Also, I'm pleased to hear that Andrew Bujalski's Beeswax got picked up for distribution by Cinema Guild. I figured given Bujalski's growing popularity, I figured it would get picked up by a small distributor, but I'm somewhat shocked it's taken this long.

Off to Binghamton tomorrow. Hopefully, nothing tragic (unless you count the rain they're predicting) will happen.

Tweaking It

Today I continued working on Are You From Bingo?. For whatever reason, the audio seemed to drop out when the archive footage appeared. I've been tweaking it, but then there are hisses. Oh, well. At least you can hear it now.

I've also made a hard decision. It turns out that the software I would use to make the actual DVD (Adobe Encore) isn't available on its own, and I don't know if I really want to take the time and learn new software. I'm still planning on putting it up via CreateSpace, but it won't be as elaborate as I thought.

I'm going to create a YouTube channel to upload what I've already shot, plus I'll probably be doing more interviews eventually, and I don't think I could cram all of it onto the DVD anyway.

It might go up to 90 degrees tomorrow. Yikes!

Reanimating the Cyborg

The interview I had today was the shortest job interview I've ever had. Basically the women interviewing me filled out a sheet, asking whether or not I preferred working part or full time (I said either), could I operate a multi-line phone (I can!), and what shift I preferred (day). They told me that I would hear from them again next week about a possible second interview.

Yesterday I watched Are You From Bingo? for the first time in God knows how long. Today I cut out anything that might inspire a cease and desist letter, plus I tweaked a couple of other things.

Last night, I attended a lecture by Jillian Burcar at The Warren Hunting Smith library. Jillian has spent the year at HWS as a predoctoral fellow with the Fisher Center for Gender Studies. Her lecture, titled "Reanimating the Cyborg", focused on gender construction in Anime and comics, plus she read excerpts from her own fiction. One piece of her fiction, Usagi's Cookbook, particularly hit home for me. It reminded me of the years I used to read the websites and blogs of anonymous friends, and pour my own thoughts into my blog. Heck, I'm doing it right now!

Afterward, I asked Jillian how she got the plum job of presenting Wes Craven with a Lifetime Scream Award. After she'd dressed as a character from Nightmare on Elm Street at Comic Con, she got a button that had a red mark which was her "golden ticket", if you will.

Right now, I'm reading Mia Farrow's autobiography, What Falls Away. I started on it early yesterday, and I'm at the point where she's seeing Woody Allen. I've been wanting to read it for ten years. So far, I'm not really disappointed, but it seems to lack the intimacy that a lot of great celebrity memoirs have. Especially since Mia has lived such an interesting life. I, for one, would like to know how she got the name Mia, since her legal first name is Maria.

It's supposed to be in the low 70s tomorrow. Can't wait!

The Long Hair of Death: My Binghamton Experience

As I got off of I-81 just before 11am Friday morning, a Broome County Sheriff's car zoomed right by us. We made a left and drove down Front Street, and made another left at the intersection. The rest of Front Street had been blocked off. My father and I weren't totally sure what was going on--maybe there was an accident, or a domestic disturbance. I was dropped off at the Holiday Inn, where I was annoyed by the fact that I'd left my Driver's License and Debit Card back home.

Ten minutes later, my father called me, and told me there had been a shooting, and that's what the scene was. Initially, I thought maybe it had been a singular incident.

I wended my way down Court Street, taking care of some pre-interview errands. I marvelled at what Court Street has become. A lot of the buildings that were unoccupied when I first made Are You From Bingo? were now housing restaurants, boutiques, gyms, and bars. I felt like I was seeing the progress that the interviewees were talking to me about in 2005.

Ten more minutes, and my father called again. He told me that there had been multiple shootings, possibly multiple deaths, and that it was "A really bizarre situation," and he speculated that it would make national news. Shortly after I met my camera guy, the office of Mayor Matthew Ryan called to cancelled the interview we had scheduled for 2:30.

In spite of the increasingly gruesome circumstances, my first interview went well. We touched upon the shootings that had just happened, even though I really had little idea of what the details were. Other than that, we talked about what I had planned on talking about. The person who funded my movie was the next person I interviewed, and that interview went pretty much the same way. After we finished his interview, we stuck around his office, and watched Mayor Ryan's press conference on CNN.

Tragedies aside, it was very rainy. My feet were soaking wet, and I had only one other dry pair of socks for the next day. So on top of being worried about the shootings, I had wet feet most of the day.

Later on, we got some footage at Little Venice of people watching the news. I also talked with a woman who was friends with the receptionist who dialed 911. We did a few interviews of people's thoughts on the situation, shot some footage of the media trucks, then called it a night.

Among the witnesses that were interviewed on TV was the mother of one of my interview subjects, an interview I had scheduled for Saturday. She lives across the street from the Civic Association, and that interview did not happen. I did, however, manage to shoot some B-Roll of some places that were in Bingo on Antique Row, and we shot footage of the Civic Association, as well as the media shooting reports and footage from the Civic Association.

I did manage to get two interviews in, one with a girl who manages a boutique my funder owns on Washington St., and an interview with another couple who renovated the building. The wife had a baby girl March 18th, and stayed off camera. After the people who owned the stores downstairs kicked us out, we wrapped. I told my camera guy that I'd stay in touch in regards to rescheduling.

I got back just after 8pm. Earlier today, I typed up my trip in much more intricate detail than I've written here.

The question for me is, "What now?" In all honesty, I had been doing some thinking about a sequel before this happened, but that the shooting wouldn't commence for a few years yet. Now, I'm not so sure. I definitely want to finish the DVD and finish the interviews, and I guess I'll determine what I want to do from there.

In the meantime, I'm hoping to work on the Stanley Kubrick/Jan Harlan panel from SXSW to help seperate myself from the experience (something I would've done anyway), then I'll take a look at the footage later this week. But it looks like I will have to resume the fundraiser.

Yeah, Baby!

Today was spent writing up questions and packing as I watched a Snapped marathon. It took me two days to write questions for two people; it took me two hours to write up questions for the remaining three.

I've been in a real Austin Powers mood lately, and I do not know why. I think it's more of a reflection of my state of mind than anything else. I spent the better part of my Junior and Senior years of high school really obsessed with that movie. In fact, my senior year, I dressed up as Austin Powers for Halloween. I used to own a VHS of a widescreen version of the movie, but I have no idea where that went. I've never bought the DVD, but I may have to soon if I'm going to satiate my urge to watch it. Of course, I can rent it from Netflix as well.

For now, here's a song from the movie, "Call Me". This isn't the version in the movie, but I like this version better. (With that being said, the Mike Flowers version isn't bad.) Off to Binghamton tomorrow!

Disappointments & Tribulations

It's 35 degrees and very, very windy, so I spent today hibernating. Hopefully, it'll be the last time I'll have to do that for awhile, since it's going to be in the 50s tomorrow.

I scheduled one more interview today for the DVD. I'm particularly excited about this interviewee, since I got more responses about him than anyone else I interviewed, and frankly, of all the interviewees, I had the most fun interviewing him. It will be my first interview after I get to Binghamton Friday Morning. I literally just got off the phone with the mayor's office, and I have that interview set for 2:30.

Later, I got a message in my inbox from someone who had solicited me to do website design for them saying that she decided to "go forward with another designer". It's disappointing, of course. Between this, and the "cease-and-desist" letter I recieved last week, I'm thinking that maybe now isn't the time to be too preoccupied with entreprenurial endeavors. It takes up a lot of energy. There are web languages and programs that I would have to learn to gain enough confidence to pursue design work. I will continue to look for work, though.

Earlier this year, I had Brian obtain a press pass for me for this year's Tribeca--that was before I knew I was going to SXSW. For awhile, I had been leaning toward no, because of SXSW and needing to see how unemployment would work out. But now as the date looms closer, I'm giving serious thought to going. If I go, I'll only go for the weekend--leave on a Thursday, return Sunday or Monday. I'll see where I'm at with the DVD, the job search, and I have the Neko Case concert coming up that week, too before I make any final decision. It would sure be nice to jump back into the festival circuit before long...

Cease and Desist

When I was embarking on making Are You From Bingo? back in 2005, I established my production company. I chose the name "Polychrome Pictures" because I thought it recalled MGM and Sub Pop at the same time. I even had it registered officially as a business with the Tompkins County registrar (I was residing in Ithaca at the time). Last fall, when I decided to see if I could look for work as a designer, I decided to call my business Polychrome Design.

Yesterday, I recieved a "cease and desist" letter from a company called Polychrome Design in San Francisco. It seems that they have trade marked the name, and potential clients are getting confused. I spoke with the owner of the company over the phone yesterday afternoon. He was a kind gentleman who explained that he had legal troubles himself when taking the company name. He said that it wouldn't effect my production company name, Polychrome Pictures, except for one thing...

There's a Polychrome Pictures, a full fledged production company, based out of Los Angeles. Although my "Polychrome Pictures" name is registered with the Tompkins County registrar, it's a possibility that it could face serious legal boondoggle. I am faced with a serious decision. For now, I plan on calling my design company "Erin Scherer Design" until I can come up with something better, but I'm not actively pursuing design right now. (Though I will take a job if I'm approached.)

I am continuing to look for work. Yesterday, I made phone calls to Geneva General and Cayuga Medical Center. I think I'm ready to go back to work, though mainly a temp position. The trip allowed me to see a number of urban areas, and I wonder if I wouldn't be better off somewhere else. I continue to send resumes for permanent positions locally, but it's more half hearted than ever. I don't feel so grounded anymore. What I'd really like to do is travel around the country more for awhile. But we'll see. Given the economic climate, I'm very lucky that these are the worst of my worries.

Full Speed Ahead

Next weekend (April 3rd & 4th), I will be going to Binghamton to tape new interviews for the DVD. Right now, I am in the process of making the final arrangements for the interviews. I have two set in place for April 4th, but I keep getting the runaround from the mayor's office.

Not that it should even be on my mind right now, but I've been giving some thought to my book, too. I realize why it's been difficult for me to write the book, even if I continue to hold interest in it. If I'm going to write a book--any kind of book--I want to write the book in a way that's appealing to a reader with general interest in the subject. I want the reader to get the feeling that they couldn't help but pull it off the shelf when they saw it. Should I ever find the time and resources to write this book, the challenge in creating and writing this book will be in organizing and presenting the material and subject matter in a way people want to read.

Due to resources (or lack thereof), however, I may try it as a blog first. Today I ordered WordPress For Dummies along with a book written by my new documentary subject, and a book called From IX To V from Amazon.com. I will read the first book, then decide if it's worth my time.

Parallel Life

There's nothing like having your hands tied. On one hand, I have visions of a more exciting life ahead of me. Yesterday, I published the Ry Russo-Young interview, and next week, I'll be off to Austin for SXSW. Also, I have the Are You From Bingo? DVD project, and the other project I'm working on right now.

Today I was reading a memoir of the person I'm hoping to do a documentary on, where she talks about her experiences with her travels, and her relationships--romantic and friendly. I also peered through a travel guide on Costa Rica in preparation for another interview I'm hoping to do for The Film Panel Notetaker. When I was young, I wanted to travel the world, going this place and that place. Unfortunately, money and circumstance eventually tempered those ambitions, but now I'm entertaining those fantasies again. Costa Rica would be fun, but I'd love to visit Greece, Italy, the South of France, and Bali, among other places.

At the same time, I must contend with my current reality. I continue to look for work the way I always have--sending out resumes, going for interviews. It's never been particularly fun (unless I've gotten a job), but job hunting anywhere is becoming more and more out of place. With that being said, I'll be taking a test tomorrow with the possibility of working on the 2010 census. The job will start in April and last 6-8 weeks. If I get the job, I figured by the time it starts, I'll be ready for another job. It's only temporary, and it doesn't seem too dull, so why not?

Catching Up

I've been incredibly busy the last few days. Thursday and Friday were in the 50s, and I took advantage of that by doing a lot of walking. Thursday, I put some finishing touches on Are You From Bingo?, and yesterday I taped an introduction that will go on the on-demand and the video download of the movie.

This morning and in the early afternoon, I readied the Ry Russo-Young interview for The Film Panel Notetaker, and I plan on posting it Monday morning.

Last night, I watched a press screener of Modern Love is Automatic, which is premiering at SXSW this year. (I'll write more about it soon.) This afternoon, I saw The Wrestler, which was very good, but the wrestling scenes were pretty gruesome. Good to see Mickey Rourke back in the game, though. Tonight, I'm going to watch Luis Bunuel's Simon of the Desert, which looks really good.

When I found out that they were cutting all temps at Emerson, I was a little disappointed. Two months later, I realize that it may have been for the best. I've gotten a lot of stuff done that may have been very difficult to do otherwise, like Bingo, and the other projects I'm starting on now. The time off has given me a real chance to clear my head, and I'm in a much better place now.

Can You Tell I'm Anxious?

Tomorrow is the big day. As I mentioned previously, I've been really nervous about my hearing. Mainly because I don't want to have to face those people all over again. Yesterday, though, my mother mentioned to me that there might not be a chance that they'll show up at all, and if that's the case, I WIN! Nonetheless, I have prepared, writing points I want to make, cross examining questions, and a closing argument. But I really hope they don't show up.

Yesterday, I had a phone interview with some customer service company that has an office in Canandaigua. They're supposed to send me something about a "next step" soon, but I really don't want this job, because of the commute, and also, I'd be working until 10:30. This afternoon I have an interview at the hospital for several positions I've applied for. A month ago, I would've been absolutely thrilled about this. To some extent, I still am, but I know what I want to do next as far as projects go. Will this job get in the way?

Speaking of the next project, I've decided to send the letter I sent last week by e-mail, which is the way I should've done it in the first place. I know it's only been a week, but I'm eager to hear one way or the other.

Finally, I started cutting the epilogue for Are You From Bingo? last night, but with all that's happening this week, it's hard to focus on it. Can you tell I'm anxious?

Nothing Really Important #1

Today I went to the Abbey Staffing Office downtown. I filled out the necessary paperwork. Tomorrow I plan on doing my weekly stop at the Workforce office.

I also made some phone calls as I continue to pursue follow-ups for the new epilogue. I spoke with Sherry from The Garland Gallery. She let me know that this Friday will be downtown Binghamton's 60th Consecutive First Friday. Which means they've been doing for five years straight.

I posted to Shooting People's New York Bulletin, offering my design services for $250. It may the best bet I have in finding actual work until I go to Austin. Also, I'd like to make it a regular thing eventually, because I think it would liberate me from having to look for work ever again. Well, at least not for a very long time.

Past, Present, and Future

I did go to Ithaca on Tuesday, and I took my father with me. We paid a visit to a friend of ours for about an hour. I didn't go to the Workforce office there, but I did do a weekly stop at the office here yesterday. I think it's best to wait and hold off on stopping at that office until I know that the weather will be dry and safe enough to commute back and forth.

Wednesday it snowed like crazy, so I spent a good portion of yesterday morning shoveling. I don't mind it, because it is a good workout.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about future projects, and reflecting on past ideas and projects and why they did or didn't work out. So much has changed for me in the (almost) four years since I made Are You From Bingo?. I realize now it doesn't have to be a crapshoot; I know there's some kind of audience waiting. At this point, it's a matter of committing something to paper.

For awhile, I've thinking about shooting it in Ithaca or Binghamton, but today I've been giving serious thought to shooting it in the Woodstock/Kingston area. I used to love traveling through there when I would travel to New York from Oneonta, and of course, this past fall, I attended the Woodstock Film Festival and since then, I've been looking for an excuse to return. Also, I think it might be easier to get a cast and crew up to that area than further up New York. We'll see.

Earlier this afternoon, I did an interview with Binghamton University's Pipe Dream newspaper, and that went well. Tomorrow night, I'll be going to see Ra Ra Riot at The Smith Opera House. I'm looking forward to it.

Brainstorm!

Today I was working on the DVD when I had a brainstorm.

Rather than do follow-up interviews, why not tack on an epilogue at the end of the movie, following up on everyone instead? Then I don't have to worry about anyone's feelings being hurt, and maybe even save some money. I plan on leaving up the fundraiser, because I may still do the Current TV thing. But the further I get into this project, the sooner I want it done.

Tomorrow I'm going to Ithaca. It'll be the first time I've been back since my job ended. I plan on stopping at the Workforce office there, among other things. I'm praying to God that the worst of Winter is over.

Keep Moving

I've been working on the Are You From Bingo? website, even though I haven't purchased a domain yet. I got Expression Web, which is a huge step up from FrontPage. I actually managed to create a style sheet, a real first for me. This afternoon, I plan on calling the director of the Art Mission to schedule a screening for the movie in the spring.

Also, I have a job next week at First Niagara Bank. It's a part time position for a teller. I'm not too sure about this, but I'll go in with an open mind. After the fall out at my old job (not the temp one I just had), I'm not sure if I'm ready to enter customer service again just yet.

Still Looking

I called Kelly Services Tuesday. They said that the only work around that they recruit for around here is for assembly line work. I don't consider myself to be above it, but I don't think I'm really skilled for it, either.

You know what? I could be happy with a part time job right here. I don't know how long I'd keep it, but at least it would allow me enough security to get what I want done. Yesterday, I sent out a bunch of resumes to the local hospital in response to some part time secretarial openings. Even if they don't find me qualified, maybe there'll be an opening for something else. Even if Binghamton is further away, I don't want to hassle with commuting right now.

Another thing I've been looking into lately is finding work as a virtual assistant. I could go into an explanation of what that is, but here's a video that does it for me. It's a little long, but it explains what a Virtual Assistant does:

Manpower (the temp agency that got me my last job) offers free online classes for their temps. I figured I might take a few classes and brush up my skills while I wait out the next thing. Also, if I decide to dive into Virtual Assistance, it would be incredibly helpful.

In other news, I've been contacting interviewees for the new interviews. I had planned to do the interviews the weekend of March 7th. Then I found out that one of my interviewees is expecting--she is due March 13th. I may have to do their interview early. Yikes!

I have another announcement coming soon...

2008: Year In Review, and Hopes & Goals for 2009

In spite of some bad things that happened to me this year, I have to say that 2008 was a very good year for me. In fact, this is probably the first time I've been able to look back and say I've had a really good year.

I attended two festivals this year--South By Southwest, and the Woodstock Film Festival. I also took an improv 101 class at UCB Theater in New York. I'd like to do 201 at some point, but right now, I have other things to focus on. For six weeks, I got to work at a job I actually liked.

Goals for 2009

Get the DVD done. It's actually the priority for me right now, other than continuing to look for new work. The sooner the DVD gets done, the sooner it gets out there. The sooner it gets out there, the sooner I can move on to future projects.

The Next Movie. Realizing that the scope of the DVD, it's priority has receded, but still really important. I have an idea and some locations where I want to shoot, but that's about it at this point.

Keep On Working, Hopefully In Jobs That Don't Suck. The last job, I liked. Unfortunately, economic conditions forced me out of that situation. As I have mentioned, I'm working on a stopgap measure, but it would be nice to continue to have a job (or jobs) that I like. When my old supervisor returns from vacation, he's going to appeal to the corporate office to get an extension on the project. But returning there is more of a "no" than a "yes" at this point.

Go To Tribeca & Take Improv 201 at the UCB Theater. This is a longshot at this point, but I'm interested in going. It's all going to depend on my employment situation, and whether or not I can make the time to go. If so, I'd like to do both about the same time.

I have two New Year's Resolutions: To keep losing weight, and make The Bondy Blog regular reading. I've been trying to become fluent in French for a couple of years now, and If I can make a habit of reading the blog, I'll master the language.

Hope 2009 will be a good year for you as well.

No Book Today

Back in 2004, I joined a screenwriting group at Ithaca College. I wanted to write a movie with an ensemble cast, when I tried to push the material, the other people in the group shot it down, primarily because there aren't too many ensemble films evaluated--mostly because the studios aren't interested in buying them.

Cut ahead to the summer of 2007. I'm at a library at a local college when I decide to pull out a book on psychoanalytic criticism, which I had read about elsewhere. In the introduction, the editor of the anthology made a point to distinguish Psychoanalytic criticism from other forms of literary analysis, like New Criticism and Post Modernism. A passage about Aristotleian criticism really inspired me. If you've read at least one or two screenwriting books, you know that many of them to some extent regurgitate Aristotle's Poetics. To realize that the Poetics was only one form of criticism (as opposed to the form of criticism) really blew my mind.

Thus began an 18 month odyssey in which I devoted myself to researching and debunking popular screenwriting theories. It would either manifest itself as a book, or a "consulting practice", by which I could've marketed myself by having a contrarian view.

Last month, after I got hired at my last job, I decided it was time to bring some closure to the project. I realized that maybe I didn't need to write a book, and I'm not sure if I have too much interest handling other people's scripts. I decided I would write a paper. I ended up writing 2½ pages, enough for a position paper. This past weekend, after finishing The Huffington Post Guide To Blogging, I thought about created a "side blog" devoted to posting my findings. Then I realized: there are plenty of options open to me. What do I have to prove?

Part of me is glad I did the research: I know at some point, I'll be able to use it in my own writing for sure. Another part of me, however, regrets wasting so much time that--at least some of it--could've been spent writing. Oh well, live and learn.

*

In other news, I sketched out the website for the DVD. At least I'm making progress somewhere...

Tommy the Angelman

My Christmas went well. Yesterday afternoon, we went up to my sister's place where we killed time while we waited to go to my cousin's house for dinner.

My 3½ year old cousin Tommy decided to make me his person of the day by continuing to grab me by the sleeve and dragging me however far until he lost interest. Tommy has very recently been diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, which is caused by a chromosonal deletion. It can be a very devestating (as it has been for Tommy's family) dignosis, especially for parents who want to have more children.

I had a good time, and we had a filling dinner, topped off with a very tasty mint & cookie ice cream cake. I managed to sneak in a few minutes of watching Ben-Hur on TCM before the boys came in and decided to watch Basketball instead. When I got home, I finished watching Lawrence of Arabia, which I started Christmas Eve. (Watching a "Epic" has become a Christmas tradtion of sorts for me--last year it was Spartacus), and watched the first episode of Season 3 of Saturday Night Live, which I got as a gift.

I'm not going to mention everything I recieved, but another item I recieved was The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging. I'm not a huge reader of the The Huffington Post (with exceptions, like Jamie Lee Curtis' editorial on Miley Cyrus), but given that it's been successful, I figured it might have some worthwhile information for an upstart like myself. I haven't finished it, but so far, it does have a lot of useful tips which I hope to incorporate in the near future.

This weekend, I'm hoping to get started on the Are You From Bingo? website--sketching out the page before I create it. I might as well get to work on personal projects while I figure out what to do as far as work is concerned (at least until spring).