Let your mission be where your heart is

Film lights me up inside like nothing else can. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my husband more then my life itself. But film, as a career, as a passion, is so thrilling. It's part of my makeup. It's written in my DNA and we all know Who did that.

It is a pure delight to me to serve the way we serve while we make our films. I consider us on the mission field, as unconventional as it may seem. There is just as much need, if not more in some respects, here then any place on earth. The weeks recent celebrity news serves as small testimony to the work yet to be done here.

I know many of you keep us in yours prayer in this respect, and I can't thank you enough for that. We need it. We love it. And it is a feeling of solidarity, camaraderie that we get when we find others in the industry with the same focus and goals as Adam and I.

We have been blessed by just such a friendship and I am -- well I'm so touched and so pleased to be able to bring this story to you. M Power Pictures is releasing their cinematic masterpiece The Stoning of Soraya M. tomorrow at a theater near you. The synopsis is as follows:

Stranded in a remote Iranian village, a French journalist is approached by Zahra, a woman who has a harrowing tale to tell about her niece, Soraya, and the bloody circumstances of her death the day before...

As the journalist turns on his tape recorder, Zahra takes us back to the beginning of her story which involves Soraya's husband, the local phony mullah, and a town all too easily led down a path of deceit, coercion, and hysteria. The women, stripped of all rights and without recourse, nobly confront the overwhelming desires of corrupt men who use and abuse their authority to condemn Soraya, an innocent but inconvenient wife, to an unjust and torturous death.

A shocking and true drama, it exposes the dark power of mob rule, uncivil law, and the utter lack of human rights for women. The last and only hope for some measure of justice lies in the hands of the journalist who must escape with the story -- and his life -- so the world will know.

It is an amazing story that is unfolding before our eyes at this very moment. Truth, injustice and basic human rights are brought into focus through a wonderful cast starring Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marno and Jim Caviezel including Navid Neahban, David Diaan, Ali Pourtash, and Parviz Sayyad; directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh.

I cannot stress to you all enough -- this is our heart. This is a story that needed to be told by people who have the heart, they love, the experience and the means to bring it into the light. These are people who have the same passion and desire and purpose as Adam and I. We are truly blessed by our relationships with them.

Please visit their website: www.thestoning.com to learn more about this incredible film and to find a theater in your area. I cannot recommend a movie more highly to you. However, I will warn that the picture has been rated R for the violence that is inherent with this type of film.

I hope you all have the opportunity to experience this picture. If you do, please let me know your thoughts and feelings on it, or if you have any questions before you go please don't hesitate to email me. I'd love to discuss it further with you. If you'd like to write a personal message to the producers at M Power Pictures, I'd be happy to pass it along for you.

Thanks again for supporting all of us out here trying to live the difference you'd like to see in this world. I know we're few, sometimes not as prominent or hiding from view, but we're here, making a difference every day.

I'm sorry, what?

I can only start by saying I'm learning a lot lately. My ways aren't always the right ways and there are surprises around every corner.

This past weekend I was removed from Facebook. Not a huge deal... just the main way I keep in touch with friends and family, my brothers in Iraq, keep you all updated on the movie....

But that blog has already been written.

It was tough to get through those couple of days without it. (I'm finally back up as of this afternoon!!) I felt disconnected, like I was missing opportunities to talk with friends and to get the word out about all the fun things we have planned for the website. Ridiculous I know -- it even surprised me how attached I was.

I'm glad I had the time though. It made both Adam and I slow down a little bit, appreciate what we have, where we are and where we're going. And I realize now more then ever that what I think is best and efficient might not be God's best. He moves things in ways I'll never understand and puts people places that honestly makes no sense at all, but they happen to be there for us.

This week we saw this first hand. Whether it was a passing kind word from a stranger or a random Hollywood connection or a donation from out of the blue....

So far, since we launched the website less then a week ago we have raised over $2000. I hope this seems as absolutely amazing to you as it does to us. We've had friends from college reconnect with us through the site -- and then donate! Dear friends of ours shocked the socks off me by handing us a check for so much more then I ever, ever dreamed. We have been blessed. Truly, and beyond measure. We never imagined this response from so many people.

And it doesn't stop there by a long shot! A girlfriends mom called me up from Virginia with a Hollywood connection I would have never known she had. Family in Texas has referred several people to us willing to help us in any way they can. Music help from Virginia and Michigan has been pouring in. Editing space in California and North Carolina has been offered. And our dear Regent alums in LA have bent over backwards to donate their time, connections - even food to the cause.

I'm so thankful for this week. It's taken the blinders off and returned the focus to the right place. My -- our -- work on this film is important. We know the job that has been set before us and I feel like we're running at it full-speed, face first. But it's always good to have those reminders thrown in. That I can be doing all the work to get to the goal... but what's the goal for? I'm remembering why I'm running towards that goal again.

Thank you friends and family for your love towards both of us, your patience as we make mistakes, your encouragement as we march along on this journey, your so, so generous donations towards what we know will move mountains in its own way and your prayers on our behalf -- not just for the film, the crew and the people we work with but for Adam and I personally.

We love to keep you updated and what kind of producer would I be if I didn't point you in the right direction. A new Producer's blog is up and a new Article will be out tomorrow-ish. Keep checking back as things are changing daily.

As I say every day -- we're so thankful for each one of you. We would never be here without you.



www.suddendeaththemovie.com

Glitch in the system

I know I've written this before but sometimes I need to be smacked over the head to slow down. I'm ready to go, move, do, get, find, raise money -- yup, that one's fairly new. I'm a girl on the move. I don't have time to do things like eat. And I do forget... frequently.

So I think I just got a reminder to slow down. A reminder that Melanie does not control anything really and it's to be left, safely in Gods hands. As silly as it sounds, and it sounds kind of ridiculous, my Facebook page has been disabled. I'm not exactly sure what it was that I did (my case is being "reviewed") but I think I posted too many times. I wasn't really sure that was possible but then again I am a rebel...

I use Facebook multiple times a day. Keeping up with my grandma, sharing goofy moments with my mom, staying in touch with my best girlfriends back home, and more importantly right now, it's the only way I keep up with my brothers in Iraq. Lately, as I'm sure most of you are aware, I've been using it to get the word out about Adam's thesis film - Sudden Death! (apparently Facebook is not to be used for self promotion)

But I think maybe I was getting a little too obsessive about the "checking." Who messaged me? What do they need? Do they want to know more about the movie? It's more mentally exhausting then anything. And now it's gone. I do miss it. I'm afraid of what I'm missing. That my brother might be on right now and I can't say hi. Or even just to know that for today he's online and safe. But it's made me take a hard look at an issue I've been avoiding. I'm not in control; God is. I can't fix the world. This film is going to happen regardless of how many times I check my Facebook and whether or not I update every hour on the hour. (yes, it was getting that bad) All I can do is my best. And obessiveness is not my best.

I do hope I get my Facebook page back. Right now every trace of me there is gone. But I hope that when I do get it back I'm a little wiser with my time and more protective of my heart. That I remember Who is in control... ps, it's not me.

So for all my friends out there, I'm sorry for just dropping off the face of the earth. I haven't deleted you or deleted myself. I guess I just needed to slow down.

www.suddendeaththemovie.com

The Website has Launched!!

We truly, truly can't tell you all how much we appreciate your support and encouragement over the past few months. We couldn't come to this place without you!

I'm so pleased and proud to announce the launch of our brand new Sudden Death! website! Adam has worked tirelessly on it and I couldn't be more impressed with his work. It looks fantastic. I'm so happy you're now able to see the fruit of his labor, and we look forward to getting your feedback!

Check it out at: www.suddendeaththemovie.com

Be sure to catch up on our new production blogs, news and articles. It's a lot of fun.

If you have any questions or would like more information please don't hesitate to contact me at: info@suddendeaththemovie.com

Thanks again -- I won't ever be able to say it enough!

Burying peanuts

I haven't counted but I can probably identify a couple hundred different types of birds. I know the difference between a white tailed deer, black tailed deer and mule deer. I know which shiny, three leafed bushes to stay away from in the woods...

There was a lot of non-book knowledge we learned as kids but mom's favorite topics seemed to fall along two subjects: history and nature. It's no surprise that wildlife isn't a regular in LA. But occasionally I see something, be it ever so simple, that brings me home again.

This week as we were settling in from the move I noticed a bag of opened peanuts in the back of our cupboard. I wasn't sure how long they had been there... so I was pretty much done with them. Instead of throwing them away though, I decided to experiment with them. I placed a few on our balcony and waited.

The day went by --- and nothing. The next morning went by. Nothing.

By the afternoon I went back in the bedroom and noticed all the peanuts were gone. I'll be honest, I was a little bit excited. On the second floor in LA it's either a squirrel or hungry kids next door. Not a lot of options.

So I threw a few more out on the balcony. Five to be exact. Every now and then, while rooting around in the bedroom, I'd check the door to see if they were still there. After a few hours I noticed there were only 3 peanuts. My bandit had struck again! As I waited I saw a furry face pop up from the tree below and grab another peanut. Instead of eating it on the spot he hopped back to the tree, across the balcony's below and into the bushes... where he promptly buried it.

One by one, he took the peanuts and buried them below. Saving for the brutal winter's southern California is so famous for, I'm sure. But he made me think about preparation and getting my "nuts" in order. (I have no ducks...) That's what Adam and I have been trying to do with this film. And I hope we're being successful.

Our latest step towards the success of the film is a website Adam's been working tirelessly on. I'm so looking forward to getting this out to all of you tomorrow! We're excited to get your feedback but I know you'll love it. It really looks fantastic.

So we'll keep you posted as the hours wind down and we officially post the Sudden Death! website! Thank you all for making our dreams a reality and for your support and encouragement towards this great adventure. This just wouldn't be possible without you.

It's chicken...

I have Night at the Museum on in the background. Little distracting but a great movie. I like to have something on when Adam's not home and I'm doing the little things -- dishes, cleaning, stuffing 200 envelopes. Little things.

Adam's been so busy lately but I think you'll all love the fruit of his labor. The website is coming along quickly and it looks amazing! I'm so proud of him. We'll be launching on Wednesday so keep your eyes and ears open -- blogs will be coming pointing you in the right direction.

I'm finishing up letters and reorganizing the details of our move. I'd like to have it done before Adam's parents arrive next week. Looking forward to their visit! I miss family.

But the roses are blooming on the porch, our fishy is alive and well, boxes are being sent to Iraq, the apartment's coming together, and, that in the oven? Oh, it's chicken...

Now for a short commercial break

Finally -- dear friends and family -- we are moved into our new, temporary apartment. Hallelujah! What a huge blessing!

I am so sorry for our absence (and for all the email and facebook messages I haven't gotten to yet!) -- please accept my apologies! Sometimes it hard to take a break...

Adam has been a very busy guy:

* He's rewritten the script and is planning to type it up sometime tonight or tomorrow. (see prayer request below!)

* He moved... and moved... and moved... between classes and his internship.

* With a desperate plea from his wife he removed both sets of closet doors and frames from both apartments and switched them. What a wonderful husband I have!

* He's currently working on getting our WEBSITE up and running. Yes, I'm really excited about it. Adam's got some great ideas. You all know how creative he is.

* We were just asked to submit a write up for our Regent alum news re: Sudden Death!

We're working on our support letters and quick, easy ways for our friends and family to donate to the project. I know we've said it a million times -- and I'm sure I'll say it a million more -- but we truly couldn't do this without you and your support. We are so grateful for you.

As things move along Adam and I are preparing in every way we possibly can, but bumps, we know, will come our way. (another day, another blog...) We've hit one and we'd love your prayers!

We caught a bug. Well, not us as much as our trusty ol' desktop... which currently won't start. So in amongst moving Adam's also been trying to trouble shoot this issue. He's been at it almost every night for a week. It's not that we're without computer, obviously, but our main computer. The one with the script - and script software, budget, schedule, pictures, Photoshop... You get the idea. A slight necessity is film software when trying to make a film.

Please pray for Adam. I know it's frustrating when everything that's supposed to work won't. I'm just praying for a lot of peace for him. And obviously for the reinstitution of our computer.



Looks like my "short commercial break" turned into a 5 minute spot. Back to work!

My Mom

I know I'm a little late for Mother's Day, but this story surpasses any bindings that this holiday could possibly hold.

I love parents. The older I get the more I appreciate my friends parents... and my friends becoming parents. I love to look back on how we all grew up, and how many, many times they stopped us from making huge mistakes and helped guide us towards decisions that would enrich our lives.

But most of all, I adore my mom. I don't think there's a kinder, sweeter, more loving person on this earth. (okay, and now I'll get an email saying "Melanie! I'm not perfect." So there, she's not... but pretty darn great regardless!) There's not a single friend I've had who doesn't remind me fairly regularly about the great times they've had at our house -- largely thanks to my mother. Bagels and cream cheese in bed on a Saturday morning. Ice cream sundaes... with food coloring... that destroyed the kitchen. New Years Eve parties that, well, they never ended. Mom was our ride to school, our band mom extraordinaire (Blue Mama's -- just love you guys!!), confectionery supplier and fixer of all teenage woes.

My mom's a tough cookie. She's dealt with more in her life then I think any one person should have to deal with. With dad being in the military mom was often on "single parent" status. We were not easy children. She's seen both sons back and forth to war like ping pong balls, and I can't imagine the stress that brings to any mother. And mom left Pennsylvania for her childhood home of upstate New York and stayed by her cousin's bedside for months caring for her as she was taken by ovarian cancer. My mom loves so much. She's an amazing person.

In April 2007, about 3 months before Adam and I were getting married I called my mom's cell phone. My brother was on leave from his tour in Iraq and the entire family came in to see him from New York and Florida. I knew it was a mad house.

Instead of my mom I got my dad, which didn't seem so strange at the time given how busy I knew they were. My dad is a jokester. I almost never know what to expect and he thinks I'm way more gullible then I think I am. Dad and I chatted for a few minutes before I asked him where he was going. When he responded "the hospital" I naturally assumed he was trying to pull one over on me. It took a few minutes before I actually believed what he was telling me and pulled my car over to the side of the road before I started sobbing.

My mother was trying to move our family's pickup truck when she accidentally released the emergency break. As it began to roll backwards the door of the truck knocked her down and the vehicle rolled over her -- from her toes to the top of her head.

Her sister and mother witnessed the accident and immediately called for my brothers who called 911. They kept her as stable as possible -- she was certainly in shock -- until the emergency crews arrived to take her to the local hospital.

She had a punctured lung, filling with fluid, from the broken ribs she sustained but miraculously had no other broken bones. Her leg was what the doctors called "crushed" but not broken. All the veins and capillaries in her leg had been crushed but would slowly begin to grow back. The first 24 hours were the most serious and she was literally holding on to her life. I know she was in incredible pain; I can't even imagine. Her healing process will take a lifetime.

But my mother is so strong, so blessed. She slowly began to come around -- talking more clearly, walking little steps at a time. She went far too quickly and pushed herself too hard in the beginning... but that's just a daughter's opinion. (I'm gonna get another email...) Not only was I so proud of her, but she defied many prognoses. My mom's a fighter.

I think the most blessed day of my life was the day I married Adam. I don't know how I got so lucky to have this wonderful man in my life. He makes my heart so happy!

But I think I'll cry for the rest of my life at the memory of my mother walking down the aisle at my wedding. Without a walker. Without a cane. Just my strong, wonderful, awesome mother.

And don't even get me started on her dancing. I have proof...

Fast forward 2 years: My mom's traveled through Israel, Iceland and my personal favorite and probably the most dangerous, Los Angeles. She's taken care of my now 4 year old niece almost every day. She has a job taking care of 3 other girls and is thinking about taking on a second job. She travels to upstate New York about once a month to visit family and friends and do a little "light" work around the house... She goes apple picking, strawberry picking, walks the dog every night, gardens - a lot! and basically keeps a house of 4 girls, 3 boys, a dog, a cat and a bird running smoothly every day. You see now why my mom is so amazing.

This past weekend she did something she's never done before. And I really don't think I could be more proud of her! My mom completed her first ever 5K Teal Ribbon Walk for Ovarian Cancer in honor of her cousin, Linda Jacobie. She finished the event in 1 hour! And was not, as she feared she might be, the last person to cross the line. Amazing!

Next year, we're putting together a team for the Breast Cancer walk -- so watch out for us!

I am super blessed not only to have this woman in my life but to call her my mother! I pray I'm even half as close to as brave and strong as she is as I get older.

So, so proud of you mom!
And so proud to be your daughter.

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day, friends and family!

Just wanted to wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day and weekend and blessings as we celebrate those who keep us safe and free.

This year we're celebrating and missing my two younger brothers as they're in currently stationed in Iraq. Whatever your particular feelings are on the subject, those boys are very real to me and very loved by our family. We couldn't miss them more. And I know our feelings are shared with family and friends across the country. I look forward to the day the yellow ribbons on my balcony can be taken down once they've both come home safely!

Please remember those families with sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, wives and husbands who cannot be home this weekend. Remember them all year long and support those who are still at home. They are loved.

We hope you all have a fantastic weekend ahead. I know we do. Stay safe and, again, thank you for your support!

The unexpected

It's funny sometimes how things come full circle...

Last year, over Memorial weekend, Adam and I went down to one of our favorite beaches for fireworks - Huntington Beach in Orange County. They have fabulous display at night and a fair during the day. We played in the ocean, ate far too much cotton candy and stopped at a few booths for freebies. I love free stuff just as much as the next guy. I can find a use for just about anything. But I draw the line at one place -- time share offers. I hate going past those booths. They always try to suck you in with promises of fabulous vacations on warm sandy beaches. I'm at the beach; what more beach do I want?

It wasn't until we passed by one of these "fabulous offers" that I realized my husband did not share my sentiments on the subject. As I was saying "no thank you" he was saying "sure!" So with the promise of a totally free vacation... in we went.

Maybe we're a good team when it comes to these guys because the more I tried to pull away the more they threw at us. A fabulous Hawaiian vacation. Free dinner. Oh and four free movie tickets. How about a trip to Lake Tahoe? And it was over. We shook the mans hand and signed up for a pitch the next week.

As much as I rallied against it, we went. Surprisingly it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. Very low pressure - of course we said no - and we still got our free vacations. We planned Tahoe for just after the new year and Hawaii for the summer time. I was so excited!

Adam's fantastic at planning vacations. He researches everything and finds the most fun, low cost, maximum impact activities for us. So I was totally thrilled when he surprised me at Christmas with a skiing package for our vacation in Tahoe and an afternoon in Yosemite. I love to ski -- I miss snow!!

We packed up in early February for a fantastic 5 day vacation. I love road tripping with Adam. He's the most fun car partner. The trip up was great. The cottage was adorable.

And the vacation - amazing! We skied, we snowboarded, we went to the lake, ate the best sushi, toured all of Tahoe. We had so much fun. One of the best vacations ever. You can see some of our pictures of Tahoe here, or Yosemite here.

But oh, was it interesting...

My first set of ski's were far too long, and down the mountain I rolled. New set of skis.

We parked a little too close to the bottom of the mountain and got the car stuck in the snow. For over an hour. Tough to get out, but hilarious.

The most interesting event, though, came after our day of snowboarding. We were exhausted! It was our first time trying the board and we spent most of the day sliding down the mountain. We decided to grab a bucket of KFC, some PowerAde from the grocery store and head back to the hotel room to "heal." We practically bought out the store of PowerAde and loaded our bags into the car. As we were pulling out of our parking spot I heard the all too recognizable sound of a metal on metal car crunching. I turned around to see that a man had just backed into a Mercedes in the parking lot. Wanting to make sure he did the right thing by at least leaving a note, we pulled back into our spot to watch and wait. He got out of his car to inspect the Mercedes which seemed good enough for us and we started to leave. As we pulled out, so did the man. He never left a note and seemed to be "fleeing the scene." Oh buddy, little did you know...

I took down the license plate # and headed back to the grocery store to find the owner. We went inside and had them paged with no luck. We waited outside for another 15 minutes, and no one came. Finally we wrote a note and I was just sticking it under the windshield wiper when -- HORNS AND LIGHTS and the attention of everyone in the lot, including the owners who were headed towards the car. I had set off the alarm. This wasn't really going to help my case of a "hit and run" driver.

After some quick and heavy explanations they called the police with the information we gave them. We waited in the parking lot as pictures were taken and statements were given. There was quite a bit of damage done to the car. The couple was in town for their nieces wedding the next day. They were so sweet and apologetic for taking our time. They offered dinner or groceries but we already had everything we needed and thanked them for the offer. I was just happy they didn't come out to a mess with no explanation.

After about an hour we hugged goodbye to our new friends, thanked the officers and went back to our hotel. We had been called once by their insurance company to give another statement and that was it. I haven't really thought of it much since then.

Yesterday Adam brought me a letter addressed from someone I had never heard of. I thought maybe a late birthday card from... someone I didn't know? I racked my brain. I opened the envelope and found a hilarious thank you card along with a gift card to Barnes and Noble. The Andrews - the wonderful couple we met in Tahoe four months ago - remembered us and wanted to thank us for "watching over" their car that blustery night. I was so surprised and touched that they even gave us a second thought. The unexpected certainly caught us off guard!

I want to thank the Andrews for reminding us to always do the right thing, to help those around us - friends and strangers, and that there are wonderful people around us all the time. I'm so glad that our odd, wonderful adventure to Tahoe was so much more then we expected!

Blessed!

Oh my goodness! And thank you for your prayers!

We got the laptop!

Adam and I have truly been blessed through this process. We were able to get everything we needed and wanted (and then some!) at a wonderful price. This isn't something we sought after but something that happened to us and for us, and we couldn't be more thankful!

Much of the thanks go to Lauren for making this even slightly possible for us. We truly appreciate her and all the work she did for us. Please join us in wishing her the best of luck, endurance and spirit as she leaves for basic training for the Coast Guard CSPI program June 9th!

Thank you all again so much for your prayers!

~ In other news:
Keep an eye out for a new blog from Adam. Today was the first day of his internship. From the few brief conversations we had he seems to really be enjoying it. Looking forward to hearing stories tonight.

On to packing.... !

Computer!?

You've all asked for prayer requests and this is a big one!

We have a great opportunity to purchase a piece of equipment we desperately need. As simple as it sounds we've gotten a great deal on a laptop. Ours has been used (and unfortunately abused) through Grad school til now. To say the least of my mechanical friend it no longer holds a battery charge and the hard drive falls out if you pick it up at the end. It's a sad state of affairs; I do love it. But a (working, functional,...) laptop is an essential part of our production - pre, during and post. I need a portable buddy on set with me.

So, we're working and reworking to make this happen. It seemed like it would... then maybe not... now, things are looking up again. We don't know. All I know is if this is the deal, the laptop - it happens today. So I've left it in God's hands and we're asking you to pray that God will send us what we need. If it's now - fantastic!! If not, that we know it, we get it and we move on keeping our eyes, ears and hearts open to the next opportunity.

I'll keep you posted as things progress. And thank you!!

A full and grateful heart

Did you know Thanksgiving is almost exactly 6 months from now? I hardly think about it through most of the year, especially with summer coming up; Thanksgiving seems so far away. And on the list of my favorites I'm not sure how high this holiday ranks. Above Flag Day for sure.

This morning I woke up to see Adam off to his interview (you can read about it on his blog later tonight... MildlyFearsomeFilms I won't spoil the surprise.) and take our sweet friend from Virginia Beach, Lauren, to the airport. While she downloaded a few movies for the flight I slipped away to catch up on email from the weekend. Honestly I expected to find a few Facebook updates, my morning devotional, a couple frequent flier deals... and that's about it. But I was pleasantly surprised to find more interesting information was waiting for me.

As I read through an email from my grandmother, two from my producer and good buddy - Nick, one from my girlfriend Christine, one from our champion at Regent - Grace, and several fun Facebook notes a wave of overwhelming love and appreciation washed over me. There was nothing unusual in these notes but I couldn't help but feel immensely filled with a grateful heart. I am blessed with truly spectacular people running like threads in and out of my life. (How gorgeous!) Every person is going through their own unique circumstances, changes, growth. From beautiful, new life, to saying goodbye to dear friends. Birthdays of miracle babies and our grandparents. First year celebrations of a life lived together, and thirty-six years of love and devotion through whatever comes their way. Trips, new adventures, old worn roads. Blossoming careers, long lost hobbies. Each in their own rhythm of life. How blessed I am to catch a glimpse of it as it rushes by me. And I was truly humbled at the thought.

Today as I've gone back and forth to the airport... and back and forth... (and back and forth again tonight) I've been thanking God, moment by moment, for the perspective He's given me today. Thanking Him for each person's influence in our lives, each circumstance that pulls us closer to Him. I feel like my blessings have doubled over these past two years as Adam's family is now mine as well. My heart is full of thanksgiving for the love and blessings of each of you -- family and friends.

Thank you for making our lives more rich, more beautiful everyday. What a wonderful day to give thanks!

Follow along...

Last night I absolutely could not sleep. I tossed and turned (and finally went to the couch to let poor Adam get some rest) and never found that deep, dark place of blissful relaxation. Needless to say I'm a little tired today.

In my sleeplessness I thought of all kinds of clever ways to say what I'm going to say with much less eloquence. Unfortunately... I've forgotten it. I'd like to apologize for that... mostly to my husband because this is supposed to be all about him.

My sweet, wonderfully talented husband has started his own blog. He's funny and direct and I just love him for it. I hope you all will read his blog and love it just as much as I do. He's the most witty, charming person I know -- even on a full nights sleep.

Check him out at: http://mildlyfearsomefilms.xanga.com/

I think I'll see if I can scare up a nap...

"Mildly Big" news of the day

We're moving!! (remember when I said "mildly?")

Adam and I have been immensely blessed by our current situation. Our apartment complex has been sold to the city of Burbank for a "beautification process" as they call it. We will be "moving" to apartment #31 of the same complex while our own little apt. #15 is being renovated. New everything from carpet to paint to appliances. We're told it will be gorgeous when they're done. And the best part of all of this? They'll be lowering our rent when we return to #15. Yes lowering. (I know!)

So we begin the transfer process on Monday... slowly. (thankfully #31 is just down the hall!) We aren't planning on putting anything on the walls and we'll try to keep as much as we can in boxes for the re-move back to #15. Here's the breakdown of the #15/31 fun:

Key: #31
Call box at front door: #31
Mail box (address): #15
Parking space: #31 and another closer to #31
Apt. layout: identical

We've been told we could return to our old, newly revamped apt. as early as October or as late a Christmas.

Obviously most of our pre-production for Sudden Death! will take place in our new apt. So I've affectionately dubbed it "the production office apt." Please pray that through all the transfers we stay organized (that we don't lose anything!) and that the moves will fall in the most convenient ways possible and not while we're filming.

We are truly, truly blessed beyond measure and so thankful for this gift! I'm hoping this move will be a great purging of what we don't need, an organization of what we do have and a wonderful, new fresh place to support Adam and bring his vision for Sudden Death! to new heights.

Thank you for your continued love and support as we press on towards "our" fabulous film!

Tenacity

To work in any kind of entertainment industry -- whether it be as an actor, director, in film, television, music - whatever -- you have to be tenacious. I've talked about this a little before, but as this process for Sudden Death! evolves I realize it's essential. I'm not always fabulous at this.

My mom gave me some great advice a long time ago: Keep your eyes and ears open. She means - pay attention to what the people around you are doing, take the good ideas and find what works for you and your situation. So I have been.

My favorite example of this recently has been Rob Vischer. Who is Rob Vischer, you ask? Trust me, you want to know. Rob is the younger brother of one of my favorite sister combo's - Kristin and Michelle. I lived with Kristin for three years, and Michelle for one fabulous summer. They're a great family.

You want to know Rob because he is an extremely talented musician who just had a CD release May 1. Rob is also super tenacious. For weeks and months now I've been watching new blogs and posts pop up on my Facebook from Rob regarding the CD release. You can find him on Facebook, MySpace, iTunes, blogs -- just about any and every social networking site out there. This guys knows what he wants -- what he was made for -- and is doing everything he can to achieve his goals. The definition of tenacious is someone who is persistent in maintaining, adhering to or seeking something valued. If you listen to his music you'll know it has value.

Without knowing it Rob's given me a nudge towards stepping out of my comfort zone and I really appreciate it. In this industry you need a few of those every now and then. Check out his latest CD The Best Is Yet to Come on iTunes or his MySpace site: http://www.myspace.com/robvischer. I promise you won't be disappointed.


PS - Thanks to ALL of you who have sent us your addresses. We truly appreciate it. If you haven't sent them along yet you can email me @: sudden.death2009@gmail.com

Call for connection

I LOVE - capitalized, bolded, neon signed - love to stay connected with people. Being so far away from most of our family and friends phone calls and Facebook are essential. I write letters and I seek out the best ecards I can find because I love to keep up with the people in my life. Of course I prefer face to face, but I'll take what I can get. And I'll never claim to be fabulous at this. (definitely went MIA while mom and dad were in town!) But the effort is there I promise!

Today I want to connect with all of you. Adam and I have been working nonstop on Sudden Death! The promotional packages are coming along (I'm so excited - they look great and this is a great film!) but here's where you come in: we need your address!
Mailing address, email address - we're prepared for both. We want to send you the very best of what we have. The success of this film depends on our family and friends. So when we talk about "our film" it is just that -- all of ours.

You can send you address information to our film email address: sudden.death2009@gmail.com.
I check it personally. If you have any questions or concerns, or don't know us personally but would like a promotional package I'm so happy to help, just let me know!

Thank you all again for staying connected to us. We love and appreciate you more then I have words for.

Remembering to Dance

I've been told that every child goes through the "I can't get enough of [enter movie that you used to like but is now so over played you've "lost" the DVD - here]" phase. This seems to start to happen around age 2-3 and lasts... well a while I guess. We have no little munchkins to test this on. I wish someone had told me that when I was about 9. My brother Bradley drove us crazy with classics like: Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid and the true killers - The Land Before Time and Barney. Oh that big purple dino!

Looking back I guess I was the same way though. (being the oldest, who remembers?) All morning I've had "I Don't Need Anything But You" stuck in my head. I used to love Annie. She had this fabulous curly, red hair and a really great "rags to riches" story. Classic.

I remember the day we were picking out new living room furniture. We stepped into the massive store and I was quite possibly in 5-year-old heaven. There was no jungle gym, no great play room for shoppers children -- just one, fabulous, tall, gleaming staircase. Nothing could really hold me back, although I remember people trying. I made a beeline for the stairs and, well, the next was inevitable. I re-enacted the entire "stairs" scene from Annie complete with tap dance. I think I even grabbed our sales person's hand to "help him up" after he "fell." (watch the movie again, it'll make sense)

Mom and dad must have been so embarrassed -- although now I think they wish they had invested in those tap lessons. Dancing with the Stars, anyone? I didn't seem to notice though. My goal was to get to those stairs and to dance and sing at the top of my lungs. There were no second thoughts. I just had to do it.

That's how I feel about filmmaking everyday. I have to do it. Sometimes it's not always what I want to do at the moment. But I need to do it. I'm called to do it. I feel it with every little fiber in me. This is what God created me to do. And I'm blessed beyond measure to have a husband who is made to do the same thing. He just has to make films.

I love this crazy journey we're on. It's worth every minute. I guess I had it right as a kid -- run full force towards those stairs, dance your little heart out and do what you were made to do... just make sure you're behind the camera.

Lost

My fabulous husband has addicted me to the ABC hit show - Lost. Not just me, but a few of our friends, family (Laura... I mean you!), and no doubt perfect strangers. He's very persuasive and very good at what he does. He knows good TV.

We're a little behind... 10 episodes this season actually. And with the season finale coming up Wednesday I'm trying to decide:
1) Do I try to catch up in the next 48 hours and burn out my little eyeballs on TV?, or
2) Do I take my time, watch the episodes at my pace over the summer and try to avoid any media coverage (and well meaning friends!) regarding the finale fireworks?, or
3) Do I watch the finale, know the ending, and say forget all those crazy hours I missed?

I'm leaning towards #2. Who has 10+ hours with nothing to do? But how utterly confused would I be if I watched the finale and not the episodes preceding it? Lost thrives on doing just that to the viewer. You're supposed to be lost, and hooked. And I'm there. To miss even one episode throws your whole concept of the story into chaos!

I feel that way without a list - lost. (oh lists are a blog topic all their own!) Or without a plan - lost. I hate that feeling. A little out of control, wandering around trying to figure out what to do next. I actually avoided writing this blog because I was completely lost about what to write.

I have a great book Adam bought me for 50 cents at the public library. It's called "A Year with C.S. Lewis." The daily readings are less then a page long but they give me a sense of deeper meaning and a higher purpose then perhaps prime time television.

The reading for today was: Avoid Clarity. Right, yes. That should be easy. I'm already there. It went on to set up the passage I was about to read from The Screwtape Letters:
Upon learning that Wormwood's Patient has become a Christian, Screwtape illustrates techniques for confusion.

That description spoke volumes to me. (and I hadn't even gotten to the good parts yet!) The Enemy is looking for every opportunity to destroy us, to bring us down and to pull us farther from our Maker. The feeling of confusion seems so benign - frustrating yes, but not necessarily threatening. It's easy to blame myself for feeling so lost sometimes. Maybe I wasn't paying attention; I didn't prepare like I should have? Of course I need to be as prepared as possible and give 110%, but confusion is not from our Father. 1 Corinthians 14:33 says "For God is not the author of confusion (disorder), but of peace..." Ah peace... that's what I need!

So today I'm leaning on God for clarity and peace, and trying to keep it in practice this week. And for all of the Lost fans out there, don't fill me in on the finale. I think I'll stick with #2.

Fundraising Kickoff!

Today's the day! Adam and I officially begin full-force fundraising this morning!

I'm so happy to be in this place -- with such an amazing script, and obviously an amazing husband. We love and appreciate all the support our friends and family give us. We couldn't do anything without YOU!

Adam wrote up a synopsis tonight:

Title: Sudden Death!
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Synopsis: After a disease that causes people to spontaneously break into song and dance, ultimately causing death is released in Los Angeles, Nathan Carlson - former Press Secretary to the White House and author of a best-selling anti-love book - is caught in a life and death struggle - literally. Nathan must race against time to find a cure and save the city – fighting government corruption that goes straight to the top and discovering pure, selfless love along the way.

More details will be coming your way this week. If you'd like more information about how you can get involved or how you can help please don't hesitate to email me:
sudden.death.producers@gmail.com
or call anytime. I'd love to fill you in on all the excitement going on here!

Hope you all have a wonderful start to your week. I know we're hitting the ground running. Love and blessings!

Mom and Dad!

Mom and dad are in town!! We've had such a wonderful time so far and tomorrow is DISNEYLAND!

Thank you all for your birthday wishes - they are so appreciated! We spent the afternoon at USC, drove down to Disney to get my free Disney bucks for my birthday!, and went to the Dodger's game where they pulled it out in a walk-off walk against the Padres. Kinda sad, but at least they kept the home winning streak alive.

Hope to catch everyone up on the excitement... once it dies down a little bit here. But until then we're off an running!

Soldier, Brother

My parents are coming for their first ever trip to visit Adam and I in California tomorrow!! And just in time for my birthday Friday. I'm so excited! I don't think I've spent a birthday with both parents since I turned 18. It's been a while...

I love my family. We've always been a people on the move. Mom and dad are from up state NY but we've never lived there. They bounced around from state to state with the Navy and finally -- at least for the moment -- landed where I now call "home." One of many. And my brothers and I have followed suit in several ways. This is the fifth state I've lived in and my parents injected a wonderful sense of adventure and travel directly into my veins.

My brothers however not only love to travel, they've taken it to extremes! Both of them are currently serving with the armed forces in Iraq. They've been gone for a few months now and are sorely missed by their loved ones. (LOVE YOU!) I was fortunate enough to have been able to go home to see them both off. They're always tough days but they seem to bond us even tighter as a family. My brothers are great guys!

Over Christmas we talked a lot about Adam's up coming thesis film. The more we talked the more interested my older brother seemed in the process... he's a huge ham. He wanted to know everything from plot to casting to the $70,000 budget. He teased me about becoming a producer and taking my job. He could. He's a smart guy.

I just recently returned "home" for one of my best friends weddings. My brother took a few days leave and flew in to see us. It was a huge surprise! I was so happy to see him! We spent five great days together -- missing our youngest brother -- but celebrating with the family we had. Just before he left my brother pressed a check into my hand and hugged me goodbye. I opened it to find he had donated $1000 to our film. Our first investor! My brother is a goofy, hilarious, sometimes shy guy who has a heart bigger then any description I could come up with. I am blessed with the most amazing brothers!

So now, with that donation, you are soldier, brother -- Producer! Congratulations on your first producing credit. I love you!

Hope

It's been a wonderfully productive day! We're grinding away on all gears on every social networking site I can find.
* (And please find us! If you can't, ask me for the specific address; I'll be happy to oblige!)
Phone calls have been made, deals have been worked, fundraising is just about to kick into high gear. I love film and I love my job!

The only things I miss when entrenched in my producing world are:
1. Food. I always forget to eat. In fact, I should eat now. ...or soon.
2. Exercise. I sit at the computer all day long.

Most of my day today was spent emailing, phone-calling, facebooking, myspacing, twittering... probably something else involving magical elves, I don't know. I interacted with a lot of people today. I love people and I love stories. Today I heard a lot more stories then I remember hearing in a long time. Some were fabulous - weekend proms, engagements - parents coming to visit their children in California! Others were more difficult to hear, and I'm sure to tell.

For about a month now I've pretty consistently had a particular song stuck in my head -- Natalie Grant's "Held." It's a really wonderful song. If you haven't heard it I highly recommend it. She reminds us that God promises to hold us through the hard times, that He will "never leave us." It always seems to come to mind around the time I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, especially over a project this massive. Or when I'm thinking of particularly tough times my friends and family are going through.

So in the world of "Melanie's song dedications" I'm singing this one out to all of you having a tough time with a job, relationship, money, health issue or something as simple as "the next move."
You are held.

Thank you for being a friend

Okay, so most of you know me pretty well. And if you do you know all too well about my love of the Golden Girls. I absolutely LOVE this show. It borders on ridiculous. It gives me a warm, homey, comfortable feeling -- long before my parents were even close to old enough for the age association. (they still aren't) It's hilarious, seriously. Maybe there's something wrong with me (I do have all 7 seasons on DVD) but it's a show I can watch over and over again. It's mindless. It's background. It's me.

And as I'm sure most of you have heard, Bea Arthur passed away this past Saturday due to a long battle with cancer. I guess it shouldn't have surprised me really, but I'll be honest, it still hurt a little. I watch this woman on TV almost daily. Okay... daily. Her character was powerful but loving; NY-East Coast but pulled from her element to a warmer more laid back place.

My girlfriends back home and I used to play a game where we'd try to figure out which characters we'd be on the show. I was Bea's character Dorothy. Secretly I always hated it. She wasn't really the "pretty one" or the "popular one" or even necessarily the "successful one." Why in the world was I Dorothy??

Throughout this weekend she'd randomly pop into my head - Bea the person, Dorothy the character. I thought about why the show worked, and then why the friendships worked. Each character gave a little bit, bent a little bit, pushed one another on a little bit. And as I started to peel it apart I realized I was kind of proud to be Dorothy. She was a rock in tough times (scared off a robber in the 1st season), she was a jack of all trades (she fixed a toilet and a sink, was a substitute teacher, sang and danced!), she loved her mother and was a voice of reason when things got tough. I don't claim to live up to all of those characteristics but I'm so honored that my girlfriends thought she was who I most closely matched.

Their times together were never perfect. There were fights and misunderstandings. Cheesecake. (come on, it's TV) And then I thought about the people in my life and how we all work together - my wonderful husband, my girlfriends at home and all across the country (you know who you are!), my family - Sheerer's and Hall's! There are the peacemakers, the lovers, the encourager's, the scientists, the risk-takers, the politicians. I love the blend of people in my life.

I pray for the same synergism for the cast and crew of Sudden Death. That we find a wonderful blend of the right personalities and talents. I realize that it won't be perfect; that it will take hard work and dedication towards the same purpose - a fabulous film we can all be proud of. But I pray that when I look back on this experience it will replay in my memory much the same way the Golden Girls does. I want to be able to watch it over and over again, seeing how well it all came together; how even with our differences we still came together in love. And maybe I'll find a moment to be a rock, a voice of reason and to show love and compassion to those around me. Maybe I'll be Dorothy.

Thanks for being a friend, Bea Arthur.

Encouragement for a Friday night

I have a love/hate relationship with Fridays.

What a wonderful day - Friday's have a kind of mystery to them. So close to the weekend I can almost taste the freedom of two whole days with no work: all beach and movies and nothing important.

Oh but Friday... the work that needs to be done! The things that need to be accomplished! And now it sits here at my computer and waits for Monday. It stares at me as I walk by over the weekend. I pick it up and go over it again. But nothing can be done. No one will answer work phones or email. It just has to wait.

But "it" is not the problem. I am. I have to wait. I have to be patient.

So today as I tied up the loose ends so I could feel good about leaving it all til Monday - I stopped. I thanked God that things are coming along so well with our movie. That people are interested in investing in our project. That they believe in Adam's God-given talents and abilities! (and there are many!) Today I chose to be thankful for this funny day of dichotomy and I patiently look forward to the challenges Monday brings.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and are able to put it all aside for a little while to enjoy family and friends. God is faithful! And we are truly blessed for all of you. Thank you again for your support!

Late night phone calls

I love the east coast. The northern fast-paced lifestyle, the rocky shores of Maine, the history of New England, the Virginia Beach culture... you all know you have it, and of course, my amazing, wonderful family and friends. I don't think I'll ever not consider myself an "East Coaster."

But then there are those days that I'm woken up at 5AM by a well meaning friend who has completely forgotten about the time difference. Or those nights that I look at the clock and think 7PM might be too late for a phone call home. They don't happen as often as they used to but every once in a while... *ring!* And I remember how simple it was when we were all together in one place!

All of this is to say I have a truly fantastic partner in crime and co-producer, Nick. Nick has been my friend for years. I'm a better producer when I work with him. I'm always so thankful for his help! But Nick lives on the east coast. North Carolina to be exact. And since asking Nick to join me on Sudden Death! I started to experience those crazy bi-coastal issues again. I have ideas jumping out of my head and... I have to wait until tomorrow to call. Or I just got great news about a lead for a location... but it's 1:30AM in North Carolina.

Tonight I was totally surprised when I received a call from Nick a little after 7P. We discussed everything from budget issues to casting options. He has a way of thinking of things that would never cross my mind - of cutting to the chase - no fear Nick!! This is one of the things I love most about him. With every phone call he reminds me Who's in charge of this project and of our lives. He reminds me that my marriage comes before the this film and to be vigilant about this as Adam and I continue to work together. Nick prays buckets over every step of this production as he does over his own life. He's grounding in a world that sometimes seems like it's swirling around me. He's direct. He's east coast.

I'm thankful for Nick tonight and his late night phone call. Adam and I, and everyone who knows him are blessed too. Thanks Nick.

And it begins

It seems a little late in the day -- or maybe it's a little early -- to begin blogging. To do something so simple but feel so inadequate to do so is an odd position to be in. Obviously, I've never done this before...

The whole purpose of this blog is to journal through this crazy process of making our film - SUDDEN DEATH! Steps have been taken but today launches the beginning of non-stop, all-out work towards the completion of an absolutely hilarious comedy written by my highly talented husband, Adam.

Curious? I'm always available at: sudden.death2009@gmail.com.

And I've decided... it's too late... Nite!