Born Good: Road to Liberation Update!

Helloooo, my GOOD friends!

Is it just me, or is everyone busier/crazier these days than normal? I was blaming it on Mercury in Retrograde for a while, but now I have no excuse!

My (paying) job and family business has left me far less time than I'd prefer to work on my film babies, but that's life - right, my sweet Banana Whoopies? We gotta pay them bills if we want to play with expensive equipment & everyone's valuable time! ;)

So here's what I've been doing, and the (Born Good) film progress I've made in the last few weeks, in addition to being crazy for no damn good reason!

1st mission: Location Scouting

Last week, I traveled to Burton/Brenham and viewed the funeral home and rest home I hope we can cheat for a hospital. My mom knows the folks around there, so she's trying to help out in that dept. (Love you, mom!) I've also been keeping my eye out for other possible locations to shoot in Kyle, TX as our "small town."

2nd: Script Consulting

Met with a good friend, filmmaker, and UT professor, Kat Candler, (jumping off bridges) last week and had my first script consultation - woo hoo! Bad part is there's lots of work to be done to ensure us a tight ass story. Good news is - I have a clue what to do, and it'll be FUN! :)

3rd: Script Homework

Part of my homework is to watch Steven's favorite comedians (our main character in BG)... it's a hard life, right?

4th: Editing

My good friend, Aether team member, & talented editor of our Aether movies, Beaux, will most likely edit this film. We're still ironing out details, but ck him out! ;) http://www.ionimagestudio.com and http://www.getparanormal.com

5th: Producing

There's a group of awesome NYFA producer (students) who are working on another one of my scripts this year, All The Good Ones. Sabrina McClendon is the ring leader, who's also coming on board to help produce Born Good remotely from NY. And can I just say - she's a kick ass producer already! Talk about forward thinking!

6th: Advising

In addition, Lorie Marsh (my LIS producer) has kindly agreed to be an advisor on this project, so if I need to run anything by her expertise - she's there! :))

7th: Lupus Organization of America

A huge part of this story was written to raise awareness of Lupus. One of my best friends, Karen, was diagnosed with this after a long, grueling battle of being 'mis diagnosed' several years back. Her symptoms have been so severe at times that she's lost all of her hair, and experienced debilitating pains. The trouble with Lupus is it's hard to determine/diagnose, because it's so different for every person who experiences it. So, I've contacted the Lupus Organization, and will be doing whatever I can to make this a benefit package!!!

8th: FOOD donations (and arguably most important!) ;)

I'm so grateful for all the emails I received back from a note I sent out about food donations for our project!! We'll be a fat and happy set! Yay!

We're on our way... Love, J

Indie filmmakers: The Kind Side

I know we're in show business, but is it so bad to just want to work with genuinely nice people, too? It reminds me of the question Dr. Wayne Dyer proposed, when contemplating something you have to do, ask yourself this, "Is it going to be easy or hard?" If you aren't 100% certain it'll be hard, just choose easy!! The situation might surprise you (I know it has me!).

I feel that way about working with nice people. If I have a choice - I'm going to choose nice (not to be confused with people who let others run all over them!). None of us can afford to do that in this biz. ;)

For example, have you ever had a less than desirable situation arise and been surprised at how someone responded or handled it with grace, style, and respect? And then had a similar situation occur where someone responded defensively and nasty? As Dyer also suggests - Whatever is inside, is what comes out.

Do you respond out of fear, or anxiety?

We've all been guilty of this on occasion.. we've all been insecure.. but I think there's no better time than the present to learn from it, grow, and quite frankly - grow up.

No better time than to take the high road.

I thought about this for a while yesterday, since I've recently experienced certain 'attitudes,' differences of opinions, had to adapt to changes, and see our producer, Lorie make some tough decisions, too.

Let me preface this (long post!) by saying that I don't expect to be good friends with everyone I do business with. Now, I welcome new, genuine friendships always, and understand that some business friends might turn out to be my best friends! But some I will simply adore/respect while we're working together on set, and others are just synergistic connections to get the job done - nothing wrong with that! It works both ways, btw! I'm not trying to befriend every actor/filmmaker I come across, hoping they'll be in my picture or like me. Networking is great and fine, (I know, a must, a must!) but I don't have the energy to pretend anything or to accompany manipulation of any kind.

There's a lot of talented folk (I know because I work with them everyday!) who are just good, honestly nice, easy people to get along with and those are who I want to surround myself with - always. And I find myself wondering, is this something to base a BIG decision off of? Well, I look at the Duplass Brothers (if you read my blog you know I'm a long-time fan of theirs) as a perfect example. I knew Jay 15 years ago, and although we've only worked on one little short film (way back when), I could still email him today and get a warm response. That's what I'm talking about - nice!!! And Kat Candler, another fellow filmmaker of mine, is simply the kindest person I've ever met. This is how I want to operate in this vast, crazy business, and never forget/underestimate the beauty of. This business is hard enough, without the cold (unnecessary) drama, egos, or big attitudes.

I'll never forget meeting Kat one day to ask her about something (film-related) and offering to buy her a coffee... she declined, saying she only wanted my 'friendship.' That was an honest, special moment for me, realizing that this business, too, can be what we make it - real, genuine, and gratifying.

Just because you're not a shark, doesn't mean you're a minno (so yeah, I kinda stole that from Grey's but it so applies here!).

And while I'm talking about sharks, what's up with various people wanting producer's credit when they haven't done anything? It blows my mind, and seems really egotistical, no? I'm not naive to the fact that it happens, especially when films can't pay a lot, and I'm really not easily offended, so I struggle with not being offended with this one. :)

I recently read a q&a with an indie filmmaker who worked with Andy Garcia.. he said that sometimes actors will ask for additional credit (i.e. producer, executive producer, etc.) without wanting to 'do' anything. But he said Andy was different.. helping produce everything! Cool! I remember meeting an indie producer last time I was in LA who was venting about her friend wanting to be an associate producer. She was going on about how she didn't think he knew the amount of work it took to deserve that title and it frustrated her. Having worked on helping produce Lost In Sunshine for the last 2 years now, I can finally say (as Leonardo Dicaprio in Catch Me If You Can) "I concur!"

Producers do everything. They are the mother's and father's of sometimes 30+ unruly big kids. When something's not working, they have to emotionally 'deal with it.' Sometimes they have to step in and be the 'bad cop.' They have to be competent, diligent, ambitious, committed, (for sometimes next to no $) tough, smart, informed, a good sales person, and know how to juggle, and speak 10 languages that aren't in the dictionary. RESPECT, Lorie - respect!!!

AND, it doesn't matter what size project you're working on, it's not cool or nice to ask for a specific 'credit' unless you are prepared to walk the walk.

If anyone feels differently, please, feel free to chime in!

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out our additional Lost In Sunshine filmmaking blogs, too!

Peace and love,
Jentri

ps. for all you Celebrity Fit Club fans out there! An oldie but goodie!

Lost In Sunshine production meeting with Lorie in town: S 16 mm vs. The Red One

Hello, hello!

It's been a long time coming - but Lost In Sunshine's producer, Lorie's in town again - yay!!!

Yesterday, me and Lorie met with our art director, Ia, director of photography, Iskra, editor, Nevie, line producer/1st AD, Michelle, and our dear filmmaker friend, Kat Candler in Kat's north central office and talked for about 3 fun hours....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)

This is how we do it in Sunshine.

Lorie gets us up to speed in her recent blog titled, "Still here" so perfectly, that I think it's best you read our production status there! :)

Meanwhile, I'll fill you in on the *writer-director's perspective of how we're getting it done in Sunshine....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)

Create what inspires you, and don't apologize for it.

There are a lot of solid strong men & women in front of the camera. We see that every day in our favorite films. They have to give to us a part of themselves, so vulnerable, so crafted, it’s fascinating to watch. But what about the women behind the camera? 

Before I started my journey into screenwriting, I always knew I loved writing. I remember sitting in my bff’s closet when we were twelve or so and just writing folders full of poetry. It was a harmless way to release the emotions we felt. At that time, I thought I wanted to be an actress. I didn’t know anything about women behind the camera. 

When I decided to go to college, I started taking film classes, but still didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, or possess the confidence to entertain ideas about what I could do. I merely went. I learned. I loved every moment - the good and the bad. Because at that time, I had already lived a couple of lives. Corporate being one of them. And I KNEW there was no other place I’d RATHER be at that moment. :)

Since then, I’ve learned that I’d rather run down I35 naked than BE an actress and expose myself that way. I’m simply too private. I don’t think I’d want to reveal myself in the way actors must. I have great respect for actors and love them so, partly because I know this. When I write and others read, it’s bad enough. I always feel like I'm just sitting there butt naked. But smiling. 

So, here I am. I write screenplays and make indie films. Being a new director, I’m in love with strong successful women, particularly behind the camera, that are fearless enough to go for it, despite the extra challenges (if you're a woman in film, you know what I mean!). 

My role models are those (i.e. Kimberly Peirce, Adrienne Shelley, Nora Ephron, Kat Candler) who produce material that fuels their inner creative core.  It doesn't matter if it's an indie art house flick or a massive blockbuster. They make what they're inspired to make, and they don't apologize for it.  

I have way too much love and passion in my body that has to be released, shared, and this is how I choose to do it.  I love. I create. I write. I make indie films. And hopefully someone else, even for a brief moment, feels it too.

What's going on with Jentri?

Hello, hello... so this is what I've been up to!

Went to Salvage Vangaurd theater last night to see Kat Candler's jumping off bridges again. http://www.jumpingoffbridges. I was fortunate enough to have done the hair/makeup for that gem. :)

In addition, PJ Raval, one of Austin's great cinematographers, also showed some of his collaborative work with Pepper Island films: POLAR OPS, and a series of hysterical shorts....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)

In Search of a Line Producer, Part I

One of the great beauties about living/working in this gorgeous city is that there's an overwhelming abundance of film talent at your feet. You just have to know where to look.

Before I had a producer I didn't know what came first - the chicken or the egg. Sure, I'd been to film school, was down with the lingo, and knew what a crew consisted of... but there are some things you must learn through experience! So I did the only thing I knew to do and asked someone! But not just anyone - someone with the industry experience who could give me valuable advice....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)

Getting started, again - everything happens for a reason!

So I began this endeavor to produce Lost In Sunshine about 2 years ago. I thought the script was good, but not great - yet. Different people were initially on board helping me produce, edit, etc., and I now fully understand the over-used phrase, "Everything happens for a reason." To put it simply, I'm not a patient person. I work on that every day. When I want something to happen, I tend to jump on it....

(this blog has moved -- read the rest here!)