Van Gogh

Care of Bonnie's Photoshop skills.

3 Weeks till Fringe

Mindset. 3 Weeks till the new show opens. This year, I'm less stressed because we have 21 minutes of short films, which is already in can and can't get fucked up- you just hit 'play'. As for the other 45 min of live theatre, sure I worry about the actors' lack of energy or forgetting lines, but really I can only do so much. It will all work out. The key is to have fun and enjoy our loose and fringe-y show that we've created. As one of the actresses told me, "It ain't Shakespeare"

Props. One thing that will help is we aren't using props or exotic furniture this year. In year's past we loaded all kinds of shit. Last year for K-Mart sketch we used a real 50lb cash register and bag of charcoal and sign and etc. This year we will fake everything. This will make up for in speed, what it takes away from in realism. This also is one less headache for me.

Press. I foresee lack of press for us this year. I sense we are old news. Even though I think this show is fresh and targets certain things that aren't being targeted or satirized too much. Anyhow, I can't control that. I can only control the process up to the show.

Tech. We were at theatre on Tuesday to do a little tech and let me just say that Wayne is amazing, having him is huge. He was able to set up and align projection and work the board and all that. And he's a super nice guy. Tech is the least of my worries thanks to him.

The Next Short Film

With "The List" finally done, and all my side projects completed, I am not focusing on shooting the third (and final) short film for Wawapalooza 4. The short is called "The Accidental Environmentalist" and is about how my Grandma is best environmentalist I've even met, and she doesn't even know it! A true model for us all.

I also take down several Eco-Hypocrites including Thom Yorke, Leonardo DiCaprio and of course, Al Gore. (the key for me is to figure out how to make it funny!)
This is not meant to be a left or right thing, just that I'm pretty tired of hearing how I need to change my lifestyle when these people pollute and trash the planet at a rate of 50 times an average person. Hypocrisy is something that pushes my buttons, especially under the guise of righteousness. Ech. This pic of Al Gore says it all...

Cast Photo

May 2010

Wawapalooza 4 Image

Finally settled on a image for show (above) after several options. I like it as it is consistent with the other years' in that it takes an iconic image and combines it with something from Wawa in a way that also is a metaphor for the meterial. (I'm sure I overthink this stuff).

On a side note, I've just personally been so busy with non-IdRather stuff.. namely assistant directing for Tweltfth Night, taking a playwriting class and shooting The List and the 48 Hour Film Festival. I'm tired.

Short Film #2: "The List"

Saturday was DAY ONE of shooting "The List" which is the second short film for Wawapalooza 4. We shot all over Lower Bucks County, including in a pizza place, strip mall and a scuzzy park. So far, I'm happy with the results and I think it will be funny. I still have some questions to myself on how to arrange it and how much to use graphics and music, but I think the material should play well. The posted pic is one of many takes where Mandy slaps Jeff. Poor guy had a red face at the end of the day...

The List

Now that The Mustache is over, the next project on the horizon is another short film called "The List" which we will shoot in April and May. This is a short film based on a section of Jeff Soles' stand-up routine. When I saw his act last, I was really drawn into his bit where he pulls out a piece of paper and explains to the crowd that he has a list of things that if a girl does, he will immediately break up with them. Some of those things include breathing through her mouth, mispronouncing Reece's Pieces and wearing anything with Disney on it. It's great fun that he is so serious about these trivial things. The more angry and intense on stage he gets the funnier it is.

I got an idea to model the short film after Michael Jackson's Thriller video. Not the dancing, but the beginning, where he is telling his girl in the park that he's not like other guys. This is going to be our template then we will do a bunch of cutaways to Jeff's list as he is going through it.

This should be a blast to shoot, it will be much much less of a production then The Mustache and more rogue, like Owen vs Ikea shoot. Most of it will be shot in Lower Bucks County, where Jeff lives with girls Jeff knows. So, I'm approaching this as a mini-trip into Jeff's world and that's why I think the "romantic goth" style will fit nicely.