The Nation was released in 2005, after the Red Sox won the World Series. At the time I had been living in Massachusetts for over 20 years. While living many parts of the country, I remained a baseball fan. To this day, I still have never met a fan like a Red Sox fan. During the years prior to the explosive history making event in 2004, I started to understand that things ran a bit different in New England. After many encounters with die-hard fans, learning about their passion, pain and then joy as they lifted the 86 year monkey off their collective backs, I was inspired to make this film about Red Sox fans.
March 14, 2010: The Sunday Morning Supplement: A Look at Daylight Savings Time
Day light savings time is here and it never ceases to confuse the masses. Do we gain an hour or do we lose an hour? You know I rarely like to use a cliché but if the shoe fits wear it: spring ahead and fall back. It really is that simple in the spring we push the clock ahead and the in the fall we rewind.
Today I’m faced with people around me making references to Saturday’s time. “You know if it was yesterday we wouldn’t be awake yet. It’s 5:00 but it really only feels like 4:00. If it was yesterday…” If it was yesterday it wouldn’t be today, I try to adapt right away.
The sticky part of it is what we actually gain and lose. Day light savings time “saves” us an hour of day light at night, which affords us long summer days. We do pay for it slightly as we lose our morning sun. The days do get longer and eventually we get back our early morning sunrise. The good people of Arizona pass on the national shift of DLS, they have all the sun they can handle and can’t wait for it to go down and cool off to 90 degrees.
We do lose an hour but it gets paid back in the fall. I have had to work on a Sunday morning after the clocks were changed, that’s when I feel cheated. Then I’m losing an hour of sleep, I could go to sleep earlier but then I’m losing an hour of my life.
March 13, 2010: Film Review: Ghost Writer
This would be a really good movie on a plane. There it would serve a purpose. You would say, “That wasn’t bad, we’re almost there now.” You could watch nice actors along with a beautifully shot film and pass the time.
The Ghost, played by Ewan McGregor is hired to write the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister. He must also replace his irreplaceable predecessor who died mysteriously and found washed up on the shore. The mood is set for up for intrigue and espionage. The plot moves along but things never really get tense or mysterious. There is minimal suspense and no thrill.
I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Polanski’s body of work, but his latest film The Ghost Writer, didn’t do it for me. The movie was technically proficient but lacked depth. The climax of the film was a bit anti-climactic and the ending feels like it comes to a screeching halt as it checks off all the things that need to be tied up. It takes a radical shift, which doesn’t seem necessary or appropriate.
I did enjoy seeing Eli Wallach for a short scene, one of my all time favorites. The actors were not the problem for me. Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor and the supporting cast were good, but the atmosphere and story were both stale. I don’t like to say bad things about a talent as Roman Polanski; I just don’t like his latest movie.
March 12, 2010: Distribution: Marketing Tip #27 the Email List
An email list that you put together is more powerful than a locomotive. It is certainly faster than a speeding bullet, and in time you will see how many buildings it can leap in a single bound.
Your email list is one of your most effective and dynamic tools. Every person in your database is already connected with you through a personal or working relationship. This is the beginning of assembling a massive list of people who are genuinely interested in your work.
As you go through your career you will come across more and more people who will become fans of you and your work. They will want to keep up with you and will be most helpful in spreading the word about your projects. As time passes the list will grow and down the road like a good stock it will yield dividends.
As you have auditions, talk to vendors, meet like-minded groups, throw a kick off or a wrap party, you are meeting tons of people. There should always be someone on your team making sure that these new friends, fans or colleagues find their way into your database. You can also expand your list by combining with groups that have an affinity to your project or joining groups with mutual interests.
This was something I wished I had started earlier, but like spilled milk or over exposed film it doesn’t matter. If you haven’t started, now is the time. Organize your address book, put your emails into whatever system works best for you and you’ll have a dynamic marketing tool at your disposal.