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!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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.
* (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.
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.
Friday, April 24, 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
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.
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!
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!
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