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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23,
2006
The "Thong" is in your hands
…
Bring it on. We're up for kudos, ridicule or
– best of all – constructive feedback when
we present our directed reading of Clay
Chapman's short screenplay “Thong
Runner” on Wed, March 1, after
the Independent Filmmakers Coalition
meeting. The evening's events – part of the
KC
Comedy Arts Fest
– start at
7:30 at the
Westport CoffeeHouse, 4010
Pennsylvania, KC, MO. Admission is free.
C'mon over that night to give us your honest
opinions of the script and get a preview of
what our next production will be.
The directed reading's cast includes
Helen Asbury, Ari
Bavel, David Berry, Ernest Brown, Jennifer
Johnson, Stephanie Kelman, Rachel Ommerman,
Nairba Sirrah, Joshua Tucker and J.D.
Woody,
all of whom deserve and get kudos whenever
they're on the stage or screen. Thong Runner
will be played by ... well, you'll just have
to come see.
“Thong Runner” began as a concept a few
years ago when Sharon's parents, the
wonderful Clay and Carol, had a close
encounter with such a character at the
Johnson County Arboretum. At the time, Clay
thought perhaps Sharon could write the
script, but she challenged him to knock it
out. Starting out as a mockumentary and
ending up as a satire on local TV news, the
script for “Thong Runner” has undergone the
evolution that many screenplays get before
they see the light of the projector. Yes,
evolution is alive and kickin' in Kansas and
Missouri.
Linda
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15,
2006
What I do for love
…
So
I’ve been a total slacker when it comes
to this space (sorry Linda!). I could
say my day job has been busy, because it
has. And that I’m a procrastinator to
the nth degree, because I am. But mostly
I’ve struggled with what I want from
this space. I’m concluding that it’s all
right – I’m still trying to figure out
where filmmaking fits into my life.
My
friend Ty Jones, one of the most
talented filmmakers I know and the
director of photography on “Agent
Jim,” is very clear
about filmmaking in his life. It’s his
No. 1 priority and shapes most of the
decisions he makes about how he spends
his time and energy. Linda can tell you
about the first night he came into the
lives of the Babes in Boyland. He
quietly handed her a card that said
simply, “Ty Jones, filmmaker.” (Random
fact: He looks great in
drag.)
Some
of my best early memories are of
watching movies with my dad, who always
promised, “You’ll like this movie, trust
me,” as we settled into the couch for a
Saturday afternoon. He’s never been
wrong (he also was right when he warned
against “Creature Features” – I did have
nightmares!).
My
brother, Greg, loved movies, too. Greg
is never far from my thoughts,
especially this month, which marks the
fifth anniversary of his death from
cancer.
Which
brings me back to where I started: I’m
finally starting to feel like myself
again, which means figuring out what I
love and how I want to spend my time.
Filmmaking is a definite priority. Now I
need to give it the time and energy it
needs. Or else my brother will “haunt my
ass,” a threat he aimed at me and
several loved ones before he died, in
case he looked down and saw us not
living and loving life to the fullest.
Sharon
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2006
High times make it all worthwhile …
The most ecstatically fulfilling moments in
my professional life have been when I’ve
successfully collaborated with a team of
colleagues. The absolutely dung-filled
moments in my professional life have been
when I’ve collaborated with colleagues who
had me, mild-mannered gal that I am,
imagining all the ways I’d sadistically
torture these people once the project was
completed.
Working together can be a tricky business.
So why does someone who says she’d just like
to stay at home in her robe and write want
to work with cast and crew on films? Why not
just pound out screenplays and leave the
collaborative part to people who love people
all the time?
Ah, the appeal of ecstasy!
A few of
my natural highs in life have come on film sets
during those magic moments when a large group of
people have come together to do their respective
parts with dedication and talent - and no financial
compensation.
-
When
one of our favorite actresses, Helen Asbury,
enacted the role of a shocked “viewer at home”
on
 the
set of
“Bra.”
As Sharon called “Action,” Helen sprung into her
5-second scene on an apartment set that had our
talented crew in the living room with Sharon,
eight actors for the next small scenes in the
dining room looking on, two of the other actors
in the bathroom having their hair and makeup
done. Looking around, I felt like I was in a
movie about a movie being made – it just seemed
so perfect.
-
When
"Bra"
the finale was filmed, and all
but 3 of the original 16 cast members showed up
to film the scene on the wide, slightly curving
center staircase at Mission Center Mall. With
two cameras running and extras walking around,
it was so MGM as Joy danced down the staircase
and ran into actors who portrayed characters
from previous scenes – sorta Wizard of Ozish –
but with Joan Jett instead of Judy Garland
providing the vocals.
-
When
our one “stunt” on
“Agent
Jim”
led Ty, Michael Cano, Bobby Thompson and
Dac Lam
to devise a
 way
to lower Dac from a “ceiling” in a dead drop
without smashing Dac’s handsome mug. On “stunt”
day at
Avila
University, along with
our stalwart pro crew, extras did double duty as
crew, and 3 of our gifted actors filmed their
parts as Dac fell to what we hoped would be
enough cushions. It was such a joyous moment
after the last take was shot. And another
successful collaboration!
Linda |
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2006
Why I love and make movies …
Romance, terror, adventure, fantasy,
alienation, perseverance– all became part of
my life at the tender age of 5. That was the
year I first became enchanted with the
movies, especially “The Wizard of Oz,”
“Cinderella” and “Mary Poppins.”
These three films have resonated with me
through the years even though I wasn’t
raised by inattentive parents nor swept away
by a tornado or a charming prince.
“Poppins” introduced me to a world not
bound by the mundane – where even the simple
act of cleaning a bedroom could be
delightful. “Cinderella” showed that with a
little help from friends, magic can happen.
And having seen these two movies for the
first time on larger-than-life screens at
movie theaters, the illusions before me
became my reality for a couple hours.
Though first viewed on the small screen,
“Oz” loomed – and still looms – large for
this Missouri farm girl. The desire is still
there for that elusive place that’s so
different, so colorful and so much more
exciting than where you are now, though it’s
offset by the knowledge that home is truly
where the heart is.
Through the years, my film fare became
grittier, but the stories, characters,
images and artistry of the movies have
continued to “send me” emotionally.
Nightmares that in my childhood starred the
Wicked Witch were no less terrifying when my
teen-age slumber was haunted by a possessed
Regan in “The Exorcist."
Awe first inspired by misty Edwardian England
vistas designed by Disney art directors was
as acute years later when being blown away
by the operatic cinematography of Gordon
Willis in “The Godfather.” The thrill
of sweetness trumping nastiness when that
glass slipper fits perfectly was felt just
as keenly as an adult when “Jerry
Maguire” blurts out “You complete me.”
Making movie magic along with Sharon, my
friend and fellow Babe in Boyland, I hope to
tell stories and create images that resonate
with others and send them on an emotional
journey. And now having been “behind the
curtain” and knowing all the many technical
aspects that go into a film, I can tell you
this – movies seem even more enchanting than
they did when I was 5. Having been
enlightened on all that goes into a film has
only enhanced my appreciation when I’m one
of those “people out there in the dark.”
Linda
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AGENT
JIM
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BRA
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