Fat, Forty* and Foreign

This is the title for my book about coming to Vienna. A collection of articles on being the uncool outsider.

I've discovered some jazz clubs. One is a dive and one is posh. You know me, I love dives. This is no exception. Cheap benches with the vanish worn off by years of jazz-loving asses wiggling around on them. Big steins of beer. rickety tables, poor sightlines, bad pa. Perfect! Had a good time, but, talking with 3 musicians (yes, women) at the end of the night they just decided they'd had enough of talking english to this old fool and literally just turned their backs on me and started talking back in german. Thanks ladies!

The other place is posh (though beer is the same price as the dive). The music here is the real deal. Lines of Berklee-waffle eminating from the guitar player. Jazz Singer - some white chick who, when I listened closely, actually has a monotone or monovolume. Cool percussionist who thinks he's in the grateful dead.

Vienna is full of weirdos. Quite literally once a day I see someone walking down the street crying. That's not normal. Last night this very odd guy dressed in full parka and wolly hat - INSIDE the club - comes up to me and starts talking German. I apologise for not speaking it. I should have turned and ran then, but he starts talking in English.

'You are a musician'
'Yes, I used to be'
'You are good, I can tell'
'Uh, ok. Thanks'
'I bet you are professional. You could get up there and play'
'Um, I need to get a beer'

But charming. At least they are not starting a fight like in Toronto or London. And hey, maybe I can use his endorsement sometime.

But the posh place was cheap enough that students go there to soak it up. Which is great. But then, they aren't really interested (AGAIN!) in talking with someone like me so conversations are usually painful and brief. Was I like that? Actually, I may be like that now, so perhaps that is the problem.

* I'm actually not 40 yet, but it sounds better.

The bumps in the road

Well, the girl I wanted in 'The Reunion' has pulled out.

The lady who runs a theatre company that I was hoping to find other actors through is not answering her phone.

I have to go to Vienna tomorrow and I have no cast.

Filming in 2 weeks.

Argh!

Surley this is some sick joke!

And real filmmakers have to fight for funding?!

Location hunting

With Dave and his wife Linda down here this weekend it seems a perfect excuse to go location hunting.

Pictures of potential locations always get people excited about a project. It lets them project themselves into the film.

With the slip shod PLL PKM we did no such thing. A) we never thought about it in advance b) the girls were motivated enough as it was!

WSA is a different beast. We have Chris coming over from the states and Magda from the UK for a start. It would be great to get them in the mood of the piece before they get here.

Magda has it easy, all she has to play is the perfect vision of inner beauty. Chris gets to sweat a lot and be a frustrated wally. I still need to find an older man to play a mystic. I need to get my finger out on that.

The latest on shooting is the week after Cannes.

Finally - MBLL usable draft

I finally finished a good draft of this thing!

It's a comedic tale revolving around an American in London and his search for love. Two main characters, limited locations. Perfect for low budget!

This is based in London (though I guess I could shoot it anywhere). Hmm. Good point, Phil. Why go to London to shoot. Perhaps I can find a london-like location down here. But then we have sun down here, which kind of makes it hard for it to double for dreary Londinium.

So, this makes 5 films (3 shorts, 1 doc and 1 feature) I have in various stages of development. Madness!

Casting

Found a 'new actress' to play the lead in this 4 minute ditty for Cacophony. Have a bead on the remaining 3.

Shoot scheduled for first weekend in Feb

2 weeks of editing

New images

I've uploaded some new photos to my 2005 photos.

Also, check out the new CostaSites.com additions like CostaPokerPlace.com

Happy New Year

I think I am the 23,001,356 person to write that in their blog in the last 24hours. Sad.

It was a traditional New Year's in my house - had our neighbours over and watched Jools' Hootenany. You didn't miss anything.

I never make New Year's resolutions. They seem doomed to failure, and as I am paranoid that my life is doomed to failure anyway I don't see any point in adding fuel to the fire.

Instead of writing this I should be finishing up the first draft of MBLL. I am 30% through it. I could finish it today, but instead I will:

* Clean up the backyard

* Do the dishes

* Walk the dogs

* Make the bed

* Look on Amazon for the best films of 2005 - both editors and customers choices

* Which Chinese news on tv (fascinating story about traditional Haanen clothing being shown in Shanghai province!)

i.e. the usual procrastination techniques.

But I did see an actress that would be great for the main female character in MBLL, so that has kind of inspired me.

Last week, during the nightmare return from Vienna, the idea struck me to do a documentary on dogs in spain. I have had the thought before. The problem is I know nothing about how to make a documentary. It's not point and shoot. That is the 'easy' part. It is how to make it compelling. The story. A good documentary has many similar facets of a good drama, so I should understand it. Maybe I just need to start and get on with it.

A new category on here might arise if I decide to go further.